Chris Waller-trained Beaten Up is one of six high profile stayers not included in the second acceptances for the 2013 Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) that were released by Racing Victoria today.
Beaten Up was one of six major withdrawals from the Caulfield Cup when the second acceptances were released this afternoon. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Beaten Up was considered one of the leading chances for the $2.5 million race, after two impressive performances in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) and Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m), but he has been ruled out of the event due to a tendon strain that was discovered last week.
The Beat Hollow gelding wasn’t the only horse from the Waller stable not included in the Caulfield Cup second acceptances; with French import Bayrir another withdrawal.
The Group 1 winner started his Australian racing career with an impressive second place finish in the Listed Winter Challenge (1500m) but failed to impress in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes and Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) and Waller indicated that he believes the four-year-old is a preparation away from being able to compete at the highest level of racing in Australia.
One-time Caulfield Cup favourite Fiorente was the other major Australian-trained omission from the list of second acceptors and will run in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26.
The Monsun entire appeared well suited to the Caulfield Cup but trainer Gai Waterhouse has opted to follow the ‘Green Moon’ path to the 2013 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and did not want Fiorente to incur a weight penalty for ‘the race that stops a nation’ by winning the Caulfield Cup.
European-trained stayers Royal Diamond, Red Cadeaux and Now We Can were the only other horses in the top 40 of the Caulfield Cup order of entry that were withdrawn from the event.
Quarantine restrictions meant that Royal Diamond and Red Cadeaux were unable to contest the Caulfield Cup, instead taking part in the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m), but the pair are still expected to head to Australia for the Melbourne Cup, while the connections of Now We Can have decided to keep the Martillo gelding in France.
The 2013 edition of the Caulfield Cup could still have an international flavor with Dandino, Simenon, Forgotten Voice and Trevieres, who will all arrive in Australia on Saturday, among the 72 horses that remain in contention.
