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Gold Trip set for Caulfield Cup tilt

Gold Trip will carry the number one saddlecloth for the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.

GOLD TRIP winning the TAB Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in Australia.
GOLD TRIP winning the TAB Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in Australia. Picture: Racing Photos

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable has elected to accept with Gold Trip in the Caulfield Cup, however a start will still come down to track conditions on the day. 

A capacity field of 18 plus one emergency has accepted for the Group 1 Handicap over 2400m on Saturday. 

Maher and Eustace along with connections had debated whether to accept for the Caulfield Cup or wait for a tilt at the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday week. 

A start in both those races could be a possibility for Gold Trip in the lead-up to the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 7. 

"We'll keep an eye on the track, but if it was to be very firm, then we would look at pulling him out," Maher said. 

"But the horse is fit and well." 

Ben Melham has been booked for the ride and Gold Trip has drawn barrier 11, the same barrier the stayer jumped from when second to Durston last year, 

Should Gold Trip not take his place on Saturday, stablemate United Nations will gain a start and give apprentice Carleen Hefel her first ride in the race, while Maher and Eustace will also saddle up Right You Are and Duke De Sessa

Chris Waller will have three representatives in Montefilia (barrier 9), Francesco Guardi (15) and Soulcombe (6) while dual Melbourne Cup winning trainer, Irish conditioner Joseph O'Brien will have Okita Soushi (12) and Valiant King (1), to be ridden by Jamie Kah, in the 2400m contest. 

Japanese entrant Breakup drew barrier 5 while West Wind Blows rounds out the international contingent drawing in gate 2. 

Damian Lane, who rides Breakup, said it was a good draw although he would have preferred to draw slightly wider. 

"I said this morning I would probably prefer to draw wide, but as it goes, the times you say that you draw well," Lane said. 

"But you take good draws when you get them. 

"He's a horse that sits close to the speed, so hopefully he will get his chance from there." 

Harry Coffey said he would have to take his medicine from the widest gate, barrier 19, and will sit down with trainer Grahame Begg to map out a strategy. 

"It's a little bit of a kick in the guts, but it is what it is," Coffey said. 

"You don't get to choose your barrier, so you have to deal with the situation. 

"He's been tracking along nicely, and I was hoping for a better draw, but there's plenty of time to assess things from out there and really take in the atmosphere from the outside rail early." 

Jamie Kah said drawing barrier one on Valiant King was not her favourite gate having not ridden the stayer previously. 

"He's a pretty simple, easy horse, I think," Kah said. 

"Hopefully I get a nice run early and find some luck later in the race." 


Racing and Sports



Caulfield Saturday, 21st October 2023

1m3f205y TURF GOOD
AUD $5,150,000

Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup (G1)

AUD $5,150,000
Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
1m3f205y TURF GOOD
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 2. WITHOUT A FIGHT (IRE) 6yo G
TEOFILO (IRE) - KHOR SHEED (GB)
MARK ZAHRA
A & S FREEDMAN
$8.5
55.5kg
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al Maktoum

Sales Information

2nd 6. WEST WIND BLOWS (IRE) 4yo G
TEOFILO (IRE) - WEST WIND (GB)
JAMIE SPENCER
SIMON & ED CRISFORD
$5.5
54kg
Abdulla Al Mansoori
3rd 1. GOLD TRIP (FR) 6yo H
OUTSTRIP (GB) - SARVANA (FR)
BEN MELHAM
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$6.5
58.5kg
Australian Bloodstock, J Woodbridge, Whitegate Pastoral, Roth Brogan Syndicate, Gold Trip, Surf Coast Racing, S Pellegrino, B Taylor, M Belford, J Garvey, N Greenhalgh, Mrs M Greenhalgh, C Madden, Mystery Downs, C Cook, B Nally, Werrett Bloodstock, L Caminiti & J Simmons

Sales Information

4th 16. BOIS D'ARGENT (GB) 6yo G
TORONADO (IRE) - MADONNA LILY (IRE)
WINONA COSTIN
ANNABEL NEASHAM
$101
50.5kg

Sales Information

5th 11. RIGHT YOU ARE (AUS) 7yo G
SO YOU THINK (NZ) - LEICA DING (AUS)
MICHAEL DEE
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$41
53kg
6th 18. VALIANT KING (GB) 3yo C
ROARING LION (USA) - ASSEMBLY (USA)
JAMIE KAH
JOSEPH O'BRIEN
$10
50kg

Sales Information

7th 8. SOULCOMBE (GB) 4yo G
FRANKEL (GB) - RIBBONS (GB)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
CHRIS WALLER
$8
53.5kg

Sales Information

8th 3. BREAKUP (JPN) 5yo H
NOVELLIST (IRE) - LITTLE JUN (JPN)
DAMIAN LANE
TATSUYA YOSHIOKA
$10
55kg
9th 9. DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) 4yo H
LOPE DE VEGA (IRE) - DARK CRUSADER (IRE)
JOHN ALLEN
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$41
53kg

Sales Information

10th 19. UNITED NATIONS (IRE) 4yo H
GALILEO (IRE) - CHRISTMAS KID (USA)
MS CARLEEN HEFEL
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$91
50kg
11th 10. HOO YA MAL (GB) 4yo G
TERRITORIES (IRE) - SENSATIONALLY (GB)
TIM CLARK
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$10
53kg

Sales Information

12th 14. OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) 5yo H
GALILEO (IRE) - AMICUS (AUS)
KERRIN MCEVOY
JOSEPH O'BRIEN
$26
51.5kg

Sales Information

13th 4. MONTEFILIA (AUS) 6yo M
KERMADEC (NZ) - BANA WU (GB)
BLAKE SHINN
CHRIS WALLER
$11
54.5kg

Sales Information

14th 17. SPIRIT RIDGE (GB) 8yo G
NATHANIEL (IRE) - TATES CREEK (USA)
DEAN YENDALL
ANNABEL NEASHAM
$21
50.5kg

Sales Information

15th 15. FAME (AUS) 4yo G
MANHATTAN RAIN (AUS) - SPIRIT BIRD (NZ)
CRAIG NEWITT
PETER G MOODY & KATHERINE COLEMAN
$201
51kg
16th 13. GOLDMAN (NZ) 5yo G
VERDI (NZ) - GOLDSMITH (NZ)
LINDA MEECH
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$81
52kg
17th 5. FRANCESCO GUARDI (IRE) 5yo G
FRANKEL (GB) - TROPHEE (FR)
JAMES MCDONALD
CHRIS WALLER
$26
54kg

Sales Information

18th 12. EMISSARY (GB) 6yo G
KINGMAN (GB) - SOVIET MOON (IRE)
JYE MCNEIL
MICHAEL MORONEY
$101
52kg

Sales Information

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