The 2023 Caulfield Cup second acceptances closed on Tuesday with 67 stayers left in contention for the mile-and-a-half classic on October 21.

Francesco Guardi is one of the best in 2023 Caulfield Cup betting following second acceptances. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Group 1 $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) is the opening leg of the coveted spring cups double followed by the iconic Melbourne Cup race over the two miles at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.

Second acceptances for the Caulfield Cup feature a bumper 10 entries for Chris Waller who won last year’s race with Durston along with the 2020 edition with his subsequent 2021 Melbourne Cup winning mare Verry Elleegant.

This year Waller’s best chance at back-to-back Caulfield Cup trophies lies in Francesco Guardi who is the current all-in co-favourite along with Without A Fight at $7 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Last year’s Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner has had two runs this time in including a last start fifth when doing his best work late to finish 3.4 lengths away from the season’s form horse Mr Brightside at Flemington in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m).

The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Without A Fight meanwhile is challenging for favouritism in the Caulfield Cup betting markets.

The imported son of Teofilo won Brisbane’s Group 2 $1.2 million The Q22 (2200m) in the winter and returned in style when sixth only two lengths beaten by the brilliant Alligator Blood in last Saturday’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.

Waller has two of the top three in the markets with Soulcombe also being kept safe at $8 after the Frankel five-year-old ran 1.4 lenghts back fourth in the Underwood which is shaping up as a nice form race to follow.

The Tatsuya Yoshioka-trained Breakup ($11) from Japan, who ran fourth in the coveted Tenno Sho back in April, is the best fancied of the remaining international Caulfield Cup entries.

Two horses are currently exempt from Caulfield Cup ballot with the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Mornington Cup winner Right You Are ($21) last seen running fifth in the Underwood and Uncle Bryn ($31).

The Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained Uncle Bryn scored a bit 2.25 length upset over Floating Artist in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) last weekend at 25/1 to punch his ticket for the Cup.

Uncle Bryn was subsequently penalised 1kg for both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup with the British import now on 52kg.

Other notable Caulfield Cup second acceptors including last year’s runner-up Gold Trip ($15) who went on to win the Melbourne Cup and who will carry the 58.5kg top-weight this year, and the Edward Cummings-trained mare Duais ($15) who was enormous running third in the Underwood.

2023 Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup third acceptances close midday on Tuesday the 10th of October, 2023.

Click here for the updated all-in markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2023 Caulfield Cup Second Acceptances 

Table Credit: Racing Australia.