The official 2021 Caulfield Cup Barrier Draw is set to take place Wednesday October 13, 2021.

Caulfield Cup Barrier Draw Facts:

• The latest Caulfield Cup winning barrier was 8 (Verry Elleegant, 2020)
• From 2009 – 2020 seven of the 12 Caulfield Cup winners jumped from a double-digit barrier draw – most recently Best Solution (15 of 18 in 2018) followed by Mer De Glace (17 of 18 in 2019)
• The last back-to-back champions from the same Caulfield Cup barrier draw were Taufan’s Melody (2998) and Sky Heights (1999) from barrier 9
• The last Caulfield Cup winner to jump from the outside Caulfield Cup barrier was Dunaden (18 of 18) in 2012
• No Caulfield Cup winner has jumped from barrier one since 1941
• Other Caulfield Cup barriers (since 1983) that have not produced a winner are 8, 12 and 14
• Barrier 9 has produced the most Caulfield Cup winners (since 1983) with five victories
• The other most successful Caulfield Cup barrier in that time is 7 with 4 winners

The Caulfield Cup barrier draw is one of the biggest sideshow events in horse racing. The $5 million Caulfield Cup is the flagship event of Caulfield Racecourse and one of the biggest events hosted by the Melbourne Racing Club on a Saturday in late October.

The Caulfield Cup Barrier Draw, announced on the Wednesday before Caulfield Cup Day, has a notable impact on the Caulfield Cup betting markets and punters eagerly await to see where the favourites draw.

The Caulfield Cup barrier draw is an intensely exciting event. Dreams are made and hopes are slashed with each number called out. Thousands of people, including each horse’s extended connections, race fans and punters around the globe will be glued to the Caulfield Cup barrier draw in high anticipation.

Naturally, each trainer and owner want the best gate for their horse. Each horse has a different running style, but generally the lower half of barriers are preferred.

Because the Caulfield Cup is 2400m long,  Caulfield Racecourse gives the field a generous stretch of 400m worth of home straight before the first turn. This means that a poor barrier draw is not critical to a horse’s chances, but for those not suited to the track, it can be a disadvantage.

Caulfield Racecourse is well known for its relatively sharp turns, so a wide barrier draw can cause a horse to struggle to maintain pace around the bends. An inside barrier draw, on the other hand, can have the effect of trapping a horse on the rails and preventing them from running as freely as they like or getting up and going when it matters.