The 2015 Adelaide Cup field and barrier draw has released and outright favourite Taiyoo is set to start from towards the outside of the field after he was allocated barrier 14 for the Group 1 event that will be held at Morphettville on Monday.
Taiyoo is set to start the 2015 Adelaide Cup as a clear favourite despite drawing towards the outside of the field. Photo by: Jenny Barnes
Taiyoo has already had 12 race starts this preparation, but has ridden through the grades extremely impressively since he returned to racing in October and will he chasing his sixth straight win in the Adelaide Cup.
The Haradasun gelding made his black type racing debut with a tough win over Crime Fighter in the Listed Moonee Valley Night Cup (2500m) on February 20 and he stamped himself as a genuine stayer with a fighting victory over Lucky Lucky Lucky in the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Lucky Lucky Lucky was far from disgraced in the Lord Reims Stakes and like Taiyoo will stamp towards the outside of the Adelaide Cup field after being allocated barrier 12.
The Lucky Owners gelding is still chasing a maiden win at Stakes level after being placed at Group 3 and Listed level on four occasions, but has not missed the placings in three race starts since joining the stable of Tony McEvoy.
Lucky Lucky Lucky will be joined in the Adelaide Cup field by stablemate Pelicano, who finished a credible fourth in the Group 3 Launceston Cup (2400m) last weekend and will jump from the outside barrier on Monday.
Other horses that will jump from towards the outside of the Adelaide Cup field include Vima (barrier 13), Waltzing To Win (barrier ten) and Gossip Guru (barrier 11).
One of the big winners of the 2015 Adelaide Cup barrier draw was Archie Alexander-trained Renew (barrier two) who will jump from barrier two when he steps back-up to 3200 metres in the Adelaide Cup.
Renew made a slow start to his racing career in Australia, but he improved significantly when he made the step-up to 2800 metres in the Visit Victoria Plate (2800m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day before he took out the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) on November 15.
The Dansili gelding finished at the tail of the field when he returned to racing in the Doriemus Handicap (2000m) at Flemington on January 31 and he could finish no better than sixth in the Moonee Valley Night Cup, but he will be suited by the step-up in trip as well as the bigger Morphettville track.
Peter Moody-trained Crime Fighter finished second in the Moonee Valley Night Cup and has drawn ideally in barrier six, while the likes of The Ruffian (barrier seven), Bredlign (barrier three), Luck’s A Fortune (barrier five) and Too Cool To Fool (barrier four) also had their winning chances enhanced by the barrier draw.
