Ever confident trainer Gai Waterhouse is looking for a winning result from Wolfe after the Japanese bred stayer drew barrier five in the Group 1 $5.15m Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Wolfe, above in yellow colours, has drawn barrier 5 in the 2019 Caulfield Cup at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Wolfe, above in yellow colours, has drawn barrier 5 in the 2019 Caulfield Cup at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Wolfe gained an exemption from the ballot for the Caulfield Cup by winning the Group 3 $200,000 Ladbrokes Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield earlier today to grab the last spot in the eighteen horse Caulfield Cup field.

Lightweight jockey Beau Mertens was quick to snap up the Caulfield Cup ride on Wolfe who has been marked as a $26 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au.

“Wolfe has a lightweight and that is very important in these big handicaps,” Waterhouse said.

“He is racing in great form and every time he has run in Melbourne he has just kept improving and he can relax in the race.”

“The blinkers were on today because he was coming back in distance but they are now in the dust bin.”

“Beau Metrens was very quickly on the phone and said ‘I can ride that weight”.

The Chris Waller trained Finche remains the Caulfield Cup favourite at $6 with Ladbrokes.com.au despite drawing barrier nineteen in the original draw but could jump from fifteen in the final field of eighteen if all four emergencies fail to gain a start.

Waller will also saddle up Brimham Rocks who also drew a wide gate at twenty.

The James Cummings trained war horse Hartnell drew barrier seventeen in the original draw and will lead the Caulfield Cup field out with the top weight of 58kg with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s new European import Mirage Dancer (barrier 13) the second top weight with 56kg.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig will have three runners in the Caulfield Cup with the two European imports Rostropovich (barrier 18) and Constantinople (barrier 7) as well as Qafila (barrier 6) and with a bit of luck could have four runners with Neufbosc (barrier 3) being named the second emergency.

Kris Lees will saddle up his import Mustajeer (barrier 16) as well as tough stayer Big Duke (barrier 1).

New Zealand will be well represented with the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman trained The Chosen One who will jump from the outside gate in the final eighteen horse field with Stephen Baster in the saddle.

Final field and barrier draw for 2019 Caulfield Cup (2400m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 3233×34443 HARTNELL (GB) James Cummings Brad Rawiller 17 58kg 114
2 12x0x1322x MIRAGE DANCER (GB) Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Ben Melham 13 56kg 110
3 x211x11x1x MER DE GLACE (JPN) Hisashi Shimizu Damian Lane 21 55.5kg 109
4 44x1x72351 MUSTAJEER (GB) Kris Lees Damien Oliver 16 55.5kg 109
5 2251557×79 ROSTROPOVICH (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Dwayne Dunn 18 55.5kg 109
6 5x1x34x512 FINCHE (GB) Chris Waller Michael Walker 19 54.5kg 108
7 546884x12x GOLD MOUNT (GB) Ian Williams Mark Du Plessis 4 54.5kg 107
8 2500×15610 RED VERDON (USA) Ed Dunlop Patrick Cosgrave 15 54.5kg 107
9 x16511x658 ANGEL OF TRUTH Gwenda Markwell Dean Yendall 14 54kg 106
10 2008326×75 BIG DUKE (IRE) Kris Lees Brett Prebble 1 54kg 103
11 531×21222 CONSTANTINOPLE (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Luke Nolen 7 53kg 109
12 x112131x30 MR QUICKIE Phillip Stokes John Allen 10 53kg 108
13 318919×603 CROWN PROSECUTOR Stephen Marsh Craig Grylls 2 52.5kg 104
14 11x36621x4 VOW AND DECLARE Danny O’Brien Craig Williams 9 52.5kg 102
15 87400×0919 BRIMHAM ROCKS (GB) Chris Waller Michael Dee 20 52kg 103
16 470141×591 THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ) Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman Stephen Baster 22 52kg 103
17 14941×2058 QAFILA David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Cory Parish 6 51.5kg 102
18 x211x18531 WOLFE (JPN) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Beau Mertens 5 50kg 100
19e x00x048x07 SOUND (GER) Michael Moroney James Winks 8 54kg 105
20e 12x30x8070 NEUFBOSC (FR) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Jye McNeil 3 54kg 104
21e 2x111x1276 TRUE SELF (IRE) William Mullins Declan Bates 12 52kg 106
22e 38x49x5832 PRINCE OF ARRAN (GB) Charlie Fellowes Jamie Kah 11 53.5kg 105

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.