The first of the ‘Big 3’ Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival races takes place today, Saturday October 16, at Caulfield Racecourse as the headline event on the 2021 Caulfield Cup Day card and below we take a look at the latest scratchings and track report ahead of the first.

Incentivise is the headline horse in the 2021 Caulfield Cup field today in Melbourne. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos

Caulfield Track Report – 16/10/2021

Melbourne Racing Club              

• Rail: True Entire Circuit
• Weather: Showers
• Dual Track Meeting: N
• Track Type: Turf
• Track Rating: Heavy 8
• General Comment: Finalised 16/10 – 7:45am
• Irrigation: nil last 24 hours, 20mm last 7 days
• Rainfall: 21mm last 24 hours, 44.2mm last 7 days
• Track Information: Inspection 6AM 16/10; Going stick is 6.7, shear factor is 9.2.

The weather in Melbourne has seen plenty of rain fall the past 48 hours and with showers set to continue across the afternoon we have a current Heavy (8) Caulfield track rating.

Caulfield racing gets underway at 12:15pm (AEDT) and the bumper 10-race card continues through until the short-distance specialists face off in the Group 2 $300,000 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) at 5:50pm (AEDT) where two of the favourites Swats That (9) and Enthaar (10) have come out. 

The first of the Group races sees the three-year-old VRC Oaks-bound fillies face off in the Group 3 $200,000 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) – Race 4 at 2:00pm (AEDT) – where the Waterhouse/Bott filly I Like Big Putts is out before the Group 3 $200,000 Neds Classic (2000m) for the same age group at 2:35pm (AEDT) where El Rocko (12) out wide is the sole scratching. 

The Kennedy Cantala types do battle in Race 6 in the Group 3 $200,000 Moonga Stakes (1400m), and then Race 7 sees the older mares face off in the Group 2 $300,000 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) where Wednesday’s Ladies’ Day Vase winner Sirileo Miss (1), Kahma Lass and Chaillot (9) have all come out. 

The race – and horse – all the punters are waiting to see meanwhile is the Group 1 $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) featuring Incentivise and the marquee event is set to run as Caulfield Race 9 at 5:15pm (AEDT).

A tendon injury saw the Kiwi Quick Thinker (14) come out of the Caulfield Cup 2021 field earlier in the week paving the way for the Chris Waller-trained Newcastle Cup winner Great House to jump from barrier two.

It is Moody’s spruik stayer Incentivise there to prove his star status as one of the shortest-priced Caulfield Cup favourites in history, but he will need to be good from the outside gate in the wet today.

See below for the full Caulfield race scratchings, Caulfield Cup Day 2021 program and jump times before visiting Ladbrokes.com.au for all your betting needs this spring!

Caulfield Scratchings – 16/10/2021

• Total Scratchings: 21

Race 1 (12:15pm) – $130,000 Magic Millions Grand Handicap (1700m)

• #1 Ballet Master (12)
• #3  Just Benjamin (8)
• #6 Coolth (9)

Race 2 (12:50pm) – $130,000 Tile Importer Trophy (1400m)

• No current scratchings

Race 3 (1:25pm) – Listed $175,000 Polytrack Gothic Stakes (1400m)

• #1 Daily Bugle (6)

Race 4 (2:00pm) – Group 3 $200,000 Schweppes Ethereal Stakes (2000m)

• #5 I Like Big Putts (4)

Race 5 (2:35pm) – Group 3 $200,000 Neds Classic (2000m)

• #3  El Rocko (12)

Race 6 (3:10pm) – Group 3 $200,000 Neds Moonga Stakes (1400m)

• No current scratchings

Race 7 (3:45pm) – Group 2 $300,000 Lexus Tristarc Stakes (1400m)

• #1 Kahma Lass (4)
• #4 Chaillot (9)
• #7 Sirileo Miss (1)

Race 8 (4:30pm) – Listed $175,000 Carlton Draught Alinghi Stakes (1100m)

• #1 Vulpine (17)
• #4 How Womantic (14)
• #11 Gem Of Scotland (10)
• #13 Rainbiel (4)
• #14 Aquagirl (16)
• #15 Garvoc (2)
• #19e Shilo Lass (12)
• #20e Teramia (11)

Race 9 (5:15pm) – Group 1 $5,000,000 Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup (2400m)

• #8 Quick Thinker (14)
• #20e Constantinople (15)

Race 10 (5:50pm) – Group 2 $300,000 McCafe Caulfield Sprint (1000m)

• #1 Swats That (9)
• #11 Enthaar (10)

*All times quoted are local (AEDT) and subject to change.