Racing Victoria (RV) took third acceptances for the Caulfield Cup 2016 on Tuesday morning with runaway Turnbull Stakes winner Hartnell heading the updated entries for the October 15 classic.
Turnbull Stakes winner Hartnell is one of 30 Caulfield Cup 2016 third acceptors for Saturday week’s mile and a half classic. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Saturday week’s $3 million Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) was one of a host of Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival features that went through the latest round of acceptances this week.
There are now just 30 Caulfield Cup horses in contention to make the final field, which is released next Tuesday, October 11.
Trainer John O’Shea and the Godolphin stable have paid the third acceptance fee to keep the stable’s flying Authrozied six-year-old Hartnell in the mix, although firm next-up plans are yet to be confirmed.
He has won his past three starts on the trot including last Sunday’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) by a commanding 3.25 lengths as the odds-on favourite over Jameka.
Hartnell is also being considered for a run the following Saturday, October 22, against Winx in the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) that attracted 29 third acceptors.
O’Shea has also kept surprise Turnbull Stakes third placed Street Cry four-year-old Tally and last start Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) winner It’s Somewhat in Caulfield Cup calculations.
Sitting second to Hartnell on the updated Caulfield Cup ballot is the Ciaron Maher-trained Turnbull Stakes runner-up Jameka with 52kg after her 0.5kg penalty for winning the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) two back.
The now four-year-old daughter of Myboycharlie is best known for her Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) win at Flemington last Melbourne Cup Carnival.
She is out to become the first Caulfield Cup winning mare since Southern Speed (2011) and is also high up the futures odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Maher also has three third acceptors with Jameka joined by the 2014 Crown Oaks champ Set Square and Pemberley.
Of the remaining international Caulfield Cup contingent the best fancied in pre-field betting is Scottish, the Charlie Appleby-trained son of Teofilo now in quarantine at Werribee.
Scottish will be the first Australian runner for Appleby when he lines-up in the Caulfield Cup field Saturday week with Kerrin McEvoy booked for the ride; the hoop having ridden All the good (2008) to victory for Saeed bin Suroor in the race eight years ago.
Other key international gallopers among the Caulfield Cup third acceptances include the Andreas Wohler-trained German galloper Articus, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Sir Isaac Newton and the imported Exosphere now prepared by Lee & Anthony Freedman.
The Freedmans prepared last year’s Caulfield Cup third placegetter Our Ivanhowe who is also still heading towards a run this year despite an eighth in the Turnbull Stakes last weekend.
Sydney’s Chris Waller has a bumper five chances led by Turnbull Stakes fourth placed Zabeel stallion Preferment who heads the Caulfield Cup weights on 56.5kg and Antonio Giuseppe.
Kiwi expat Antonio Giuseppe enjoyed four wins on the trot before a brave second in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) over the Caulfield Cup distance in Sydney over the weekend.
John Thompson’s The Metropolitan Sir John Hawkwood is also among the third acceptors for the Caulfield Cup and has been penalised 1.5kg for his Group 1 win taking him up to 53kg.
Notable non-acceptors include Tom Melbourne for Team Freedman, Magic Hurricane who ran 10th in The Metropolitan and ATC Oaks winner Sofia Rosa.
See below for the full 2016 Caulfield Cup third acceptances before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au to check out the latest markets before the final field is released next Tuesday.
2016 Caulfield Cup Third Declarations
Caulfield Race 8 – 15/10/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 650x5x2111 | HARTNELL (GB) | G | 6 | John O’Shea | 1 | 55kg | – |
| 2 | 45324×4712 | JAMEKA | M | 4 | Ciaron Maher | 2 | 52kg (includes 0.5kg penalty) | 105 |
| 3 | 11413×1835 | EXOSPHERE (GB) | H | 5 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 3 | 55kg | – |
| 4 | 7x4110x454 | PREFERMENT (NZ) | H | 5 | Chris Waller | 4 | 56.5kg | 115 |
| 5 | 30x5501x58 | OUR IVANHOWE (GER) | H | 7 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 5 | 56kg | 112 |
| 6 | 610x5212x6 | THE UNITED STATES (IRE) | H | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 6= | 55.5kg | 111 |
| 7 | x4214x8086 | TARZINO (NZ) | H | 4 | Mick Price | 6= | 54kg | 109 |
| 8 | 90324×6527 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | 8 | 55kg | – |
| 9 | 12251×3121 | SCOTTISH (IRE) | G | 5 | Charlie Appleby | 9= | 54.5kg | – |
| 10 | x4x2311440 | SIR ISAAC NEWTON (GB) | H | 5 | Aidan O’Brien | 9= | 54.5kg | – |
| 11 | x11113x023 | TALLY | H | 4 | John O’Shea | 11 | 52.5kg | 98 |
| 12 | 132114×271 | REAL LOVE | M | 6 | Darren Weir | 12 | 52kg (includes 0.5kg penalty) | 108 |
| 13 | 0069x031x2 | GALLANTE (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 13= | 53.5kg | 107 |
| 14 | 08533×7269 | GRAND MARSHAL (GB) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 13= | 53.5kg | – |
| 15 | 1x9065x808 | ALMOONQITH (USA) | H | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 15 | 53.5kg | 105 |
| 16 | 611653×431 | IT’S SOMEWHAT (USA) | G | 6 | John O’Shea | 16= | 53kg | – |
| 17 | 12x1322x21 | SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD (IRE) | G | 8 | John P Thompson | 16= | 53kg (includes 1.5kg penalty) | – |
| 18 | 25305×9340 | SET SQUARE | M | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 16= | 51.5kg | 105 |
| 19 | 2111134×07 | HOWARD BE THY NAME | H | 4 | Darren Weir | 19 | 51.5kg | 98 |
| 20 | 114x31215x | ARTICUS (FR) | H | 5 | Andreas Wohler | 20 | 52.5kg | – |
| 21 | 0x3419x103 | MISS ROSE DE LAGO | M | 6 | Danny O’Brien | 21= | 50.5kg | 105 |
| 22 | 3057741×69 | FANATIC (NZ) | M | 4 | Graeme Sanders | 21= | 50kg | – |
| 23 | 6113×88214 | SACRED MASTER (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 23 | 51kg (includes 0.5kg penalty) | – |
| 24 | 146×511112 | ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 24 | 50kg | – |
| 25 | 01893×4864 | GO DREAMING | G | 7 | Grant Kluske | 25 | 50kg | – |
| 26 | 86x8222x30 | BIG MEMORY (FR) | G | 7 | Tony McEvoy | 26 | 51kg | 98 |
| 27 | 6x7733x867 | DE LITTLE ENGINE | G | 6 | Danny O’Brien | 27= | 50kg | 93 |
| 28 | 976144×362 | MASTER ZEPHYR (GB) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 27= | 50kg | 88 |
| 29 | 131130×911 | PEMBERLEY (NZ) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 27= | 50kg | 82 |
| 30 | 2x1145x524 | VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) | G | 5 | Michael Moroney | 27= | 50kg | 78 |
