Caulfield Cup tips are free and flowing today, with Royal Descent and Silent Achiever the most popular picks with the newspaper experts, but do any of these tips have any real basis in fact?
The facts say that imported stayer Jet Away is the best 2013 Caulfield Cup tip. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Our team of horse racing experts have complied all the facts that you need to know about the 2013 Caulfield Cup and put them together to come up with a Caulfield Cup tip for every single relevant factor.
Barriers
A big deal has been made about the outside barrier draws for leading Caulfield Cup contenders Hawkspur and Dandino but in recent times outside barriers have been an advantage in the Group 1 race.
Dunaden won the 2012 Caulfield Cup from barrier 18 and barriers 13,15,16 and 17 have all produced the winner in the last thirty years.
Kelinni (barrier 1), Mr Moet (barrier 8) and Ethiopia (barrier 14) will all start the race from gates that have not provided the winner in the last thirty years while Manighar will jump from barrier 9 – the most successful barrier in the history of the Caulfield Cup.
Caulfield Cup Tip: Manighar ($61) from Royal Descent ($7) and Silent Achiever ($7.50)
Silk Colours
Plenty of twice-a-year punters will attempt to pick the winner of the Caulfield Cup by picking the horse whose jockey will be wearing the prettiest silks.
This might not be as silly as it sounds as horses whose jockeys have worn blue or yellow silks have had the advantage in the Caulfield Cup in the last decade; with Dunaden (2012), Viewed (2009) and Elvstroem (2004) flying the flag for yellow while the jockeys of Southern Speed (2011), All The Good (2008) and Tawqeet (2006) all wore predominately wore blue.
Caulfield Cup Tip: Fawkner ($11) from Dandino ($9) and Jet Away ($9.50)
Lead-up Race
The Turnbull Stakes has always been the key lead-up race to the Caulfield Cup and that has remained the case in recent years; with three of the past four winners coming from the Group 1 event.
Manighar, Glencadam Gold, Mr O’Ceirin and Tuscan Fire all flopped in the Turnbull Stakes but that doesn’t rule them out of contention as Descarado won the Caulfield Cup after finishing 14th of 16 runners in the Turnbull Stakes.
Caulfield Cup Tip: Hawkspur ($5) from Fawkner ($11) and Jet Away ($9.50)
Distance
The Caulfield Cup is considered one of the toughest 2400 metres races in the world and horses that have experience over the distance are generally considered to have an advantage.
Southern Speed is the only Caulfield Cup winner in the last eight years that was making their debut over 2400 metres, which is a blow to the chances of Fawkner who is the only horse in the field that is stepping up in trip for the first time.
Caulfield Cup Tip: Tuscan Fire ($61) from Manighar ($61) and Dandino ($9)
Jockeys
Damien Oliver will tie the record held by Scobie Breasley for the most Caulfield Cup victories for a jockey if he is successful today but has not been successful in the race since he won on Sky Heights in 1999.
Craig Williams has taken over the mantle of Australia’s best big-race jockey in recent years and has won the past two editions of the Caulfield Cup with Southern Speed and Dunaden.
Luke Nolen (Manighar), Corey Brown (My Quest For Peace) and Hugh Bowman (Mr Moet) have won countless Group 1 races between them but are yet to taste success in the Caulfield Cup.
Caulfield Cup Tip: Dandino ($8.50) from Jet Away ($9.50) and Royal Descent ($6.50)
Trainers
Chris Waller has been the form Group 1 trainer in Australia for the past eighteen months but has never had any success in the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate (2040m) or Melbourne Cup; with all three of his past Caulfield Cup runners finishing out of the placings.
Gai Waterhouse (Descardo in 2010) and David Hayes (Fraar in 1993 and Tawqeet in 2006) are the only trainers with runners in the 2013 Caulfield Cup that have had past success in the race.
Caulfield Cup Tip: Jet Away ($9.50) from Glencadam Gold ($41) and Waldpark ($34)
Overall 2013 Caulfield Cup Tip
You can make a case for nine or ten runners in the 2013 Caulfield Cup field and history shows that just about any horse could take out the world’s richest $2400 metre race.
Based on the complied facts David Hayes-trained Jet Away is the top Caulfield Cup tip from European stayer Dandino; with triple Group 1 winner Manighar the best roughie at his current odds of $61.
