Caulfield Cup 2018: Godolphin’s Best Solution defies Lloyd Williams pair to give stable second triumph

THE internationals now have the Caulfield Cup in their treasure chest and unless Winx can stop them in the Cox Plate a whitewash of our spring carnival majors is on the cards.

Pat Cosgrave and Best Solution (right) after winning the Caulfield Cup. Picture: Mark Stewart

ONLY Winx stands between an international whitewash of the spring carnival majors after an extraordinary ride by Pat Cosgrave delivered Godolphin a second Caulfield Cup with Best Solution.

CUP DAY REWIND: ALL THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENED

HOW THE RACE WAS WON: WHAT THE JOCKEYS SAID

Carrying 57.5kg topweight from barrier 15, Best Solution ($12) defied Homesman ($9.50) and The Cliffsofmoher ($6.50) to again underline northern hemisphere staying superiority.

His victory, the first for trainer Saeed bin Suroor since All The Good in 2008, leaves the Melbourne Cup at the mercy of the visitors based on TAB markets.

Of the first 12 in market order, nine are based at Werribee headed by Yucatan ($7) and Best Solution ($9).

Jockey Pat Cosgrove and Best Solution (right) edge out Homesman to win the Caulfield Cup.

Pat Cosgrave and trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Pat Cosgrave celebrates his famous victory.

Avilius ($11), Homesman ($17) and Youngstar ($17) are the only Australian-trained runners figuring prominently.

Best Solution firmed from $26 for the Cup after Irishman Cosgrave landed successive Caulfield Group 1s after victory last week on Benbatl for bin Suroor.

In echoes of John Stocker’s famous 1976 Cup triumph on How Now, Cosgrave contrived a race-winning move within 500m of the start on Best Solution.

After tucking in behind runners near the tail of the field, Cosgrave strode forward as the pace slowed, angling into fourth place, a horse off the fence.

In the perfect strike position, Cosgrave set Best Solution alight after turning, surviving by a half head as Homesman charged with The Cliffsofmoher leading Duretto home.

“I can’t believe it,” Cosgrave said.

Pat Cosgrave and Best Solution (right) cross the line narrowly ahead of the fast-finishing Homesman.

“I’ve got to give all credit to the horse, I had a bad trip around the course.

“I had a bad draw, jumped slow and had to commit earlier than I should have.

“He was there to be beaten.

“I got into a nice position but I worked so hard to get where I wanted to be.

“I was five deep out of the first turn and I had to wait a while to get my position.”

Unfamiliar with Caulfield until a week ago, The Heath is now one of Cosgrave’s favourite tracks. “Caulfield is just a great place,” he said.

“My two big winners of my career have been here. I’m in dreamland now, it’s just crazy.”

But his performance has come at a cost with the Irishman copping an 11-meeting ban.

Cosgrave pleaded guilty to careless riding when tightening Yuga Kawada on Chestnut Coat near the 1800m.

Cosgrave chose to start the suspension immediately, meaning he can’t ride Fleet Review in Friday’s night’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m).

He plans to ride in Dubai on VRC Derby Day before returning to Australia to partner Best Solution in the Melbourne Cup on November 6.

In an almost simultaneous Caulfield Cup incident, Japanese apprentice Ryusei Sakai was outed for 11 meetings for careless riding on Sole Impact.

Stewards found Sakai hampered Patrick Moloney on Vengeur Masque.

With six wins from 12 attempts at 2400m, Best Solution has now claimed three successive Group 1s.

Pat Gosgrave and Best Solution (rails) dig in the fight to the line. Picture: Getty Images

Ominously, Cosgrave believes Melbourne Cup victory is within the five-year-old’s grasp with a penalty likely from handicapper Greg Carpenter.

“I think anything is possible after today, he should have got beaten because he had such a bad trip and everything went wrong for me,” he said.

Bin Suroor, who has campaigned in Australia for two decades and has had three seconds in the Melbourne Cup, elated in his eighth Group 1 this year.

He deflected credit to Godolphin supremo Sheikh Mohammed for deciding to campaign both Best Solution and Cox Plate second favourite Benbatl in Australia.

“It was his decision to send this horse to Australia and it’s great to see Best Solution come after winning two Group 1 races in Germany to Australia,” he said.

“It’s very satisfying.”

Bin Suroor had repeatedly said Best Solution’s chances would be enhanced by rain, adding he had the tactical speed to overcome a tricky draw.

“This is what I said to him (Cosgrave), ‘When the stalls open you’ve got to be handy’,” he said.

Pat Cosgrave with the winning trophy. Picture Jay Town

“He kicked early at the 400m and that suited the horse — he won well.

“We’ve had very good results with some very good horses.”

Bin Suroor is now daring to dream of overdue Flemington success.

“The Melbourne Cup is a big race for us, it would be a dream but we’ll try,” he said.

Internationals filled three of the first four places, while Japanese pair Chestnut Coat (13th) and Sole Impact (14th) failed.

England’s Red Verdon (11th) had no luck in a messy race, while favourite Kings Will Dream ($5.50) knuckled at the start and got further back than anticipated.

CAULFIELD CUP FINISHING ORDER

1 BEST SOLUTION

2 HOMESMAN

3 THE CLIFFSOFMOHER

4 DURETTO

5 THE TAJ MAHAL

6 KINGS WILL DREAM

7 YOUNGSTAR

8 GALLIC CHIEFTAIN

9 VENGEUR MASQUE

10 VENTURA STORM

11 RED VERDON

12 SOUND CHECK

13 CHESTNUT COAT

14 SOLE IMPACT

15 ACE HIGH

16 NIGHT’S WATCH

17 MIGHTY BOSS

18 JON SNOW

SUNDAY FIX

IN A NUTSHELL

LAST Saturday, Peter Morgan saddled up his last runner, Sircconi, who finished an unlucky third. Fittingly, yesterday, deputising for new trainer John Sadler as the four-year-old gelding won the final race at Caulfield, he was there to lead him in.

Sircconi’s win also gave Linda Meech a victory with her only ride for the meeting and her first ever ride on Caulfield Cup Day. Meech said the difference yesterday was that Sircconi had clear running and momentum.

■ HUGH Bowman feared for a brief moment, when the riderless Bricktop encircled the field, that Ranier would again be the victim of bad luck in the second race.

Bowman said the jockeys up the front choose to ride safely and the speed dropped which didn’t suit his colt. Bowman, though, managed to keep Ranier in the clear and he surged home for a narrow victory.

James Cummings said he was leaning to running Ranier in the Carbine Club Stakes rather than the Coolmore Stakes on Derby Day.

Riderless horse Bricktop gave the leading jockeys in the home straight a few nervous moments in race two after he dislodged jockey Jamie Mott at the start of the race.

■ JOCKEY Jamie Mott thought about trying to remount after Bricktop dislodged him in the second race. Mott made a “perfect landing” on his feet and was able to jog along behind the horse.

“He knuckled and I just lost my balance,” Mott said. “I landed on my feet.

“It’s very unfortunate for the owners and (trainer) John McArdle but the horse is fine and hopefully they can find another race for him.”

■ IMPRESSIVE filly Zizzis provided Patrick Payne with the perfect start to the day, but he wasn’t there to see as he was stuck in traffic.

Managing owner Joe O’Neill, from Prime Thoroughbreds, wasn’t buying that excuse. “I think if Paddy won the Melbourne Cup, you would struggle to get him on air,” he laughed.

O’Neill said Zizzis deserved the win as she hadn’t had a lot of luck. The filly will now head to Flemington for a race on Melbourne Cup Day, before a short let-up, then the Gold Coast Magic Million Guineas.

DID YOU SEE/HEAR?

Look for a truckload of horses trained in Queensland running at The Valley over its two-day carnival, or at Randwick next Saturday, as strike action by trainers and jockeys appears imminent.

They are livid that with the introduction of a point of consumption tax at 15 per cent, there’s no plan to provide any extra money back to the industry.

Australian Trainers Association chief executive Andrew Nicholl spent the week in Brisbane and said unless the government backed down, the strike would happen at the four TAB meetings next Saturday, then again on Melbourne Cup Day.

After that there would be rolling strikes.

BACK ME

COLLECTABLE: Ran on strongly for fourth in the Ethereal.

SACK ME

Samovare: Wet track didn’t suit but hasn’t won for ages.

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

MISS Leonidas: EIPH on scope.

EXTRA BRUT: Jockey John Allen said he wasn’t suited by the slow tempo and wet track.

KINGS WILL DREAM: Slow out, knuckled and cut himself. Still ran on against the slow speed.

TAB BIG BETS

RACE ONE

Zizzis landed a late betting move by leading throughout in the QMS Media Plate (1400m).

The daughter of Sizzling was backed from $8-$6.50 in the final 10 minutes of betting, and after a perfectly rated ride by Craig Williams, held on to nose out Khulaasa ($5).

Zargos ($13-$9) was another they specked throughout the morning and was hitting the line hard to grab third, just in front of Romaconi ($13-$16).

Of the others, Delusions ($3.30-$3.50) went around as the most popular but was luckless after sitting three-wide. Khulaasa was best tried to beat her.

BETS: Zizzis $500 @ $7 MULTIPLE TIMES, $500 @ $6.50

BETS: Zargos $6000 @ $13

BETS: Delusions $1400 @ $3.50

RACE TWO

Ranier ($3.10) made up for its last start defeat when taking out the Polytrack Gothic Stakes (1400m).

Ridden a patient race by Hugh Bowman, Ranier came three and four-wide on the turn before nailing the leader Yulong January ($4-$3.70) right on the line.

Wild Planet ($8.50) grabbed third but it was all Ranier here in the popularity stakes with the James Cummings runner accounting for 57 percent of the total investment.

Yulong January was best tried to beat it but only held a quarter of the money that the winner did, while Ringerdingding ($6) was $10 earlier in the week and best of the others.

BETS: Ranier $5000 @ $3.10, $4000 @ $3.10, $2000 @ $2.90, $2,600 @ $2.80, $3725 @ $2.40, $2000 @ $2.40

RACE THREE

Eduardo ($2.80) was a popular winner of the McCafe Caulfield Sprint (1000m).

Powering down the centre of the track with Brian Park in the saddle, the Sarah Zschoke-trained galloper powered away to win easily over She Knows ($9-$10) and Bons Away ($4.60-$5.50).

Eduardo was nearly three times as popular as anything else in the race and accounted for over 40 percent of the money.

BETS: Eduardo $2000 @ $2.80

RACE FOUR

From Within led throughout to win the Carlton Draught Alinghi Stakes (1100m) despite getting out in the market.

Rated to perfection by Kerrin McEvoy, From Within ($3.60-$4.40) did drift in the market but still held favouritism. The Toby Edmonds-trained mare held out Working From Home ($23-$18) which raced outside it the whole way and had good specking at the eachway price.

Third went to Soothing ($4.60) who was closing well late. Of the others, Grey Shadow ($4.60) actually went around as the most popular runner in front of Soothing and From Within.

BETS: From Within $1000 @ $4.60 TWICE, $2200 e/w @ $4.40/$1.70, $1000 @ $4.40, $20,000 @ $4.20, $2200 e/w @ $4.20/$1.65, $1250 @ $3.90, $1,000 @ $3.90, $1000 @ $3.80

RACE FIVE

Verry Elleegant was a horror result for TAB when she was successful in the New Zealand Bloodstock Ethereal Stakes (2000m).

Backed into $2.30 favourite after being $3.30 on Wednesday, Verry Elleegant arrived in time under John Allen to land the money, much to the delight of her backers.

The daughter of Zed held a whopping 68 percent of the total investment and was more than four times as popular as the second favourite, Greysful Glamour ($4-$3.90-$4.20).

Such was the popularity of the winner that she nearly cost the TAB seven figures.

BETS: Verry Elleegant $10,000 @ $2.40, $10,000 @ $2.30, $9500 @ $2.30, $20,000 AND $15,000 @ $1.30 PLACE, $3500 @ $2.40, $3,000 @ $2.40

RACE SIX

Thinkin’ Big led throughout to win the Caulfield Classic (2000m) and although he was very popular in betting, it wasn’t the result most punters were expecting.

Extra Brut as hammered in betting right throughout the week, taking $3.30 on Wednesday and backing him into $2.25 on the day. Such was his popularity that he held nearly half of the total investment.

Thinkin’ Big, out of the Waterhouse-Bott yard, was $3.50-$3.80 on the day after being $4.40 earlier in the week. Tim Clark rated the son of High Chaparral to perfection in beating Chapada ($10) and Sikorsky ($5.50-$8) which sat outside the leader the whole race.

BETS: Thinkin’ Big $2000 @ $3.90 TWICE, $1300 x $2,000 e/w @ $3.90/$1.50, $1000 @ $3.90, $2000 @ $3.80, $1500 @ $3.80, $1000 @ $3.80, $1500 @ $3.70, $1000 e/w @ $3.70/$1.45

BETS: Extra Brut $10,400 @ $2.30, $10,000 @ $2.30, $5410 @ $2.25, $500 @ $2.25

BETS: Sikorsky $4000 @ $7.50, $2000 @ $8

RACE SEVEN

The judge couldn’t split Best Of Days and Mask Of Time in the Coongy Cup (2000 metres).

Best Of Days was one of the best backed runners on the Caulfield card, being supported from $2.40 in the morning to start at $2.05. At one point, it even touched odds-on at $1.95.

Mask of Time ($6) led and ran a great race to land some nice eachway investments after starting at $12 this morning.

BETS: Best Of Days $4500 @ $2.05, $4000 @ $2.05 $35,000 @ $2.10

BETS: Mask Of Time $2000 @ $10

That winning feeling: Pat Cosgrave returns to scale on Best Solution. Picture: Nicole Garmston

RACE EIGHT

Best Solution ($14-$11-$12) proved to be the superior stayer in the Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (2400m).

Sitting on the speed throughout, Best Solution had to get going early under Pat Cosgrove as the moves came and after being headed by Homesman, outstayed that runner in the run to the line. Best Solution, for Saeed Bin Suroor, was fifth best supported runner in the race with Youngstar ($6-$7), Kings Will Dream ($5-$5.50), Ace High ($11-$18) and The Cliffsofmoher ($7-$6.50) the only runners to hold more.

The best move in the race came for Homesman ($14-$11) which narrowly failed, while The Cliffsofmoher finished off nicely for third.

BETS: Best Solution $1000 @ $15 (taken Friday), $1500 @ $12, $1000 @ $12 $1633 @ $11, $1,000 @ $11 MULTIPLE TIMES

BETS: Homesman $3000 @ $13

BETS: The Cliffsofmoher $10,000 x $5000 e/w @ $7.50/$2.70, $3,000 @ $7

BETS: Night’s Watch $5000 @ $9

BETS: Kings Will Dream $3000 @ $5.50, $5,250 @ $5

BETS: Youngstar $3500 @ $7, $4,000 @ $6

RACE NINE

It was a good result for TAB with Shumookh ($6.50-$9-$8) leading throughout to win the Schweppes Tristarc Stakes (1400m).

The Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott runner did have some backing, in fact, it was the fourth best supported in the race but most of the cash here was with Invincibella ($3.40-$2.90).

All honours were with Shumookh though as she beat Invincibella which was trapped wide for most of the race, with Aloisia ($16-$26) hitting the line well for third.

Invincibella was responsible for 56 per cent of the market with Invincible Gem ($5.50) the next best backed, however, it only held a fraction of what the favourite did.

BETS: Shumookh $3000 @ $9, $1500 @ $9, $1334 @ $8.50, $1,700 @ $8, $1000 e/w @ $7.50/$2.40

BETS: Invincibella $10,000 @ $3.10, $5000 @ $3

BETS: Ellicazoom $5000 @ $11

RACE 10

Sirconni landed a good move to take out the final event on the program.

Ridden a treat by Linda Meech, Sirconni ($12-$7.50) was the subject of some good money throughout the day and finished off too strong for Dreamforce ($4.40-$6), while Perast ($9.50) ended up in third spot.

Tom Melbourne ($6-$4.40) attracted good money once again and started favourite while Peaceful State ($4-$7) and Mr Sneaky ($5) were the two most popular runners in terms of money held.

BETS: Sirconni $5000 @ $7.50

BETS: Mr Sneaky $10,000 @ $5

BETS: Peaceful State $5000 @ $6.50