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The field is set for the time-honoured Group 1 $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) with betting on this weekend’s edition of the mile and a half classic dominated by Tony & Calvin McEvoy‘s progressive galloper Half Yours.
Eighteen spring stayers, many eyeing a run at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November in the $10 million Melbourne Cup field, will face off in this year’s Caulfield Cup line-up.
Sitting top of the latest Caulfield Cup odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au is Half Yours at $2.90 with the five-year-old St Jean gelding drawn a treat in gate two with Jamie Melham retaining the ride on the 52.5kg light weight.
A brilliant winner of the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes over 2000m here by 3.5 lengths on September 20, Half Yours was brave last time out when fourth to Melbourne Cup favourite Sir Delius in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) when powering home late.
Down in weight but up in distance he now gets out to the mile and a half, a distance he thrashed his rivals over in the Caloundra Cup with 54kg during the winter, so he maps well for this test.
Jameka (2016) was the last stayer to complete the Naturalism Stakes – Caulfield Cup double while the last favourite in Caulfield Cup betting to salute for the punters was Incentivise ($2.30 in 2021).
The danger occupying the second line of Caulfield Cup betting at $8 is UK raider Meydaan jumping from barrier five with world-class Italian jockey Andrea Atzeni to do the steering.
Prepared by Simon & Ed Crisford the nicely bred son of Frankel has winning form up to 2212m overseas so should see out the extra furlong with worry down under this weekend.
He was last seen placing third in the Group 3 September Stakes when carrying 60.5kg to finish just two lengths off the winner Giavellotto and he’s back to 56kg on Saturday drawn well in gate five.
The last international Caulfield Cup winner was Japan’s Mer De Glace (2019) and this year the Japanese return with Golden Snap ($17).
The classy grey mare has a nasty gate to overcome (18) but is well-weighted with a great 2400m strike rate (5:2-1-1).
She has saluted over 3000m so will stay all day and could prove a bit of value heading towards her key target on November 4 at HQ.
Ace horseman Ciaron Maher is already a two-time Caulfield Cup winning trainer having prepared Jamkea (2016) as well as last year’s champ Duke De Sessa (2024).
Maher is back in 2025 with a trio of runners led betting-wise by Royal Supremacy ($8.50).
Entering the classic in outstanding form, the five-year-old Make Believe gelding has won three of his past four starts including his Group 1 The Metrop win over these metres at Randwick at the start of the month.
The Metropolitan – Caulfield Cup interstate double was last completed in the same year by Tawqeet (2006) and there’s money coming for Royal Supremacy to be the next.
He carted just 50kg to win the elite level in Sydney and goes up to 52.5kg this weekend with Robbie Dolan sticking with from barrier six.
Maher’s other Caulfield Cup horses this spring are the imported Middle Earth ($14) and genuine staying mare Zardozi ($26).
A one-time favourite in futures markets, Middle Earth has eased out to more value despite an ideal barrier three draw with the in-form Mark Zahra to ride.
The son of Roaring Lion boasts a 50% winning strike rate from four runs at the 2400m but has been somewhat flat this prep.
Fourth-up and fit this weekend he’s out to improve on his recent unplaced runs when beating home just one other runner home in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes before his ninth-place effort in the Turnbull.
That said, he’ll be making up late ground from the back getting out to a more suitable trip and gets conditions to suit.
Zardozi is another capable of better than her recent showings.
Last year’s Caulfield and Melbourne Cup fourth-placed mare also comes via the Underwood – Turnbull path having run 7th and 11th respectively so needs to improve to feature in the finish here.
This year’s Caulfield Cup top-weight with 58.5kg is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott trained import Vauban.
No horse has carried more than 58kg to victory in the event in over 20 years, but Vauban remains safe in the markets at $11 to break the hoodoo.
A two-time Melbourne Cup performer, he has been with the Waterhouse/Bott yard since the autumn and has been thereabouts this spring in Sydney.
His final lead-up to the Caulfield Cup saw him cross only 1.3 lengths fifth in The Metrop carrying the same weight he’s allocated on the weekend, and a top four run here doesn’t look out of reach.
The 2025 Caulfield Cup is set to run as Caulfield Race 9 at 5:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race Melbourne card.
| 15. Half Yours (2) J: Jamie Melham52.5kg 21514T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy | ||
| 13. River Of Stars (4) J: Beau Mertens53.5kg 3x780T: Chris Waller | ||
| 17. Valiant King (16) J: Jye McNeil52kg 93x01T: Chris Waller | ||
| 2. Presage Nocturne (8) J: Stephane Pasquier57.5kg x13x3T: Alessandro Botti | ||
| 16. Royal Supremacy (6) J: Robbie Dolan52.5kg 01121T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 14. Birdman (10) J: Teo Nugent52.5kg x2517T: Chris Waller | ||
| 5. Absurde (1) J: Ben Allen55.5kg 32x3xT: Willie Mullins | ||
| 10. Deakin (7) J: Daniel Stackhouse54kg 1x076T: Phillip Stokes | ||
| 4. Meydaan (5) J: Andrea Atzeni56kg 20523T: Simon & Ed Crisford | ||
| 7. Zardozi (11) J: Harry Coffey54.5kg 0x570T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 3. Middle Earth (3) J: Mark Zahra56.5kg 9x509T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 8. Adelaide River (9) J: Jordan Childs54kg x8827T: Kris Lees | ||
| 1. Vauban (13) J: Blake Shinn58.5kg 0x365T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | ||
| 11. Golden Snap (18) J: S Hamanaka53.5kg 1x6x2T: Katsunori Tanaka | ||
| 18. Plymouth (17) J: Celine Gaudray51kg x0612T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 9. Bankers Choice (14) J: Billy Egan54kg 72x03T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 12. Revelare (12) J: Luke Currie53.5kg x7117T: Robert Hickmott | ||
| 6. Land Legend (15) J: Jamie Mott55.5kg x3950T: Chris Waller |
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