By ROY ASPINALL
CRAIG Williams produced an outstanding ride on a remarkable horse to win Saturday’s 135th running of $2,600,000 group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400 metres) on last year’s Melbourne Cup winner, Dunaden.
It was one of the best Caulfield Cups since the race was first run in 1879 and the winner rewrote the record books.
The Mikel Delzangles-trained seven year old became the first original topweight to take out the race when he powered over the top of his rivals.
The French son of Nicobar joined Viewed (2009) as the only Melbourne Cup winners to return and win the Caulfield Cup in the past 50 years. It matched the efforts of Gay Icarus (1971), Ming Dynasty (1980) and Northerly (2002) as the only horses in the past 45 years to carry 58 kilograms to victory.
And he did it all from the outside barrier in the field of 18, with Williams becoming just the ninth jockey to win back to back Caulfield Cups after scoring last year on Southern Speed. “He’s a remarkable horse,” Williams said. “I was confident the way he was working”.
From his wide barrier Williams dropped him out and steered across to the rails and bided his time until the final stages, making a sizzling run around the field to win going away. Dunaden scored by half a length from Alcopop with Lights of Heaven 1¼ lengths away third.
The Caulfield Cup is always considered a great guide to the Melbourne Cup and this year it is even more so.
Much interest will centre of what penalty the Racing Victoria handicapper gives Dunaden at 11.30am on Monday.
Apart from the other placegetters there were great runs from the 2010 Melbourne Cup winner, Americain (fourth), My Quest For Peace (fifth), Folding Gear (seventh) and Jakkalberry (13th).
This week is full of action with Wednesday’s $315,000 group 3 Centrebet Geelong Cup (2400 metres) featuring several Melbourne Cup contenders, including some internationals and most notably Gatewood, who caught the attention at Caulfield last Saturday week.
Remember that both Dunaden and Americain won the race before their Flemington success.
This year the Cox Plate meeting at Moonee Valley will be run over two days, starting on Friday evening. Saturday will see the $3,050,000 group 1 Tatts Cox Plate (2040m).
The Spring Racing Carnival concludes on November 17 with Sportingbet Sandown Guineas Day on Sandown’s Hillside track.
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