Mongolian Khan right in the Melbourne Cup mix with magificent Caulfield Cup performance

ANALYSIS: CAULFIELD Cup form is traditionally the most reliable Melbourne Cup guide, so which horse produced the best trial for Flemington’s famous two-miler?

Caulfield Cup winner Mongolian Khan gets a close look at the cup as owner Mr Lin Lang aka Mr Wolf as strapper Sophia Orting looks on at his Flemington stable this morning, Melbourne. 18th October 2015. Picture: Colleen Petch.

CAULFIELD Cup form is traditionally the most reliable Melbourne Cup guide so which horse produced the best trial for Flemington’s famous two-miler?

English stayer Trip To Paris was game running second, Our Ivanhowe continues to improve, Japan’s Fame Game ran a blinder and tightened his grip on Melbourne Cup favouritism, Snow Sky and Gust Of Wind were very good, and Who Shot Thebarman lost no admirers.

But Mongolian Khan was the superior stayer in the Caulfield Cup and that might prove to be the case in the Melbourne Cup, too.

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Don’t let Mongolian Khan’s winning margin of just a half-length detract from his outstanding staying performance.

Jockey Opie Bosson gave Mongolian Khan was forced to go earlier than he would have liked because Royal Descent began to tire in front of him from about the 700m.

With Our Ivanhowe and others sweeping around his outside, Bosson was flushed out and had to go.

Mongolian Khan was in front by the home turn and with 400m still to go, he was there to be beaten but rallied magnificently and was holding Trip To Paris on the line.

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RACING Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter will announce Mongolian Khan’s Melbourne Cup penalty at 11am Monday.

The expectation is Mongolian Khan will receive at least an extra 1kg to take his handicap to 56kg for the Melbourne Cup.

The last four-year-old to win a Melbourne Cup carrying more than 55kg was Might And Power with 56kg in 1997.

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ZAC Purton maintained he was riding to instructions when he tried to bring Japanese stayer Fame Game through the field from last for sixth in the Caulfield Cup.

But Racing Victoria stewards were right to ask Purton about his tactics and whether, in the words of chief steward Terry Bailey, if the jockey was “having a look around’’ for the Melbourne Cup.

Zac Purton working Fame Game. Picture: Jay Town

Purton was adamant that he was riding to win: “I can’t jump over them. I’m not in a helicopter.’’

Through an interpreter, trainer Yoshitada Manukata confirmed the riding instructions issued to Purton, adding Fame Game performs best when ridden through a field.

Bailey eventually accepted the evidence but reiterated that stewards expect similar riding tactics for the Melbourne Cup.

This raises an interesting question — what will stewards do if Purton uses different tactics but guides Fame Game to Melbourne Cup glory?

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FAME Game’s effort to charge home into sixth placing was a slashing Melbourne Cup trial.

There was no surprise when Fame Game’s grip on Melbourne Cup favouritism tightened after his eye-catching Caulfield Cup effort.

Snow Sky pleased jockey Damien Oliver with his grinding fifth and believes the English stayer will be better suited at Flemington over 3200m.

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ENGLISH trainer Ed Dunlop is surely going to win an Australian major soon after another second placing with Trip To Paris in the Caulfield Cup.

Red Cadeaux does some fast work. Picture: Colleen Petch

Dunlop’s Red Cadeaux has run second in three Melbourne Cups and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The ageless Red Cadeaux and Trip To Paris will give Dunlop a strong presence in the Melbourne Cup next month.

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What’s that I see: Caulfield Cup winner Mongolian Khan spots the winning trophy as he walks at his Flemington stables with strapper Sophia Orting. Picture: Colleen Petch

THE form from Sydney’s The Championships last autumn is certainly holding up in Melbourne this spring.

Caulfield Cup winner Mongolian Khan took out the ATC Australian Derby at Randwick during The Championships, Criterion, one of the favourites for the Cox Plate next Saturday, won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick last autumn.

Chautauqua, the brilliant T.J. Smith Stakes winner during The Championships, is hot favourite for the Manikato Stakes this Friday night, while Gust Of Wind, winner of The Oaks at Randwick earlier this year, was a good fourth in the Caulfield Cup.

Sydney Cup winner Grand Marshal and runner-up Who Shot Thebarman did enough in the Caulfield Cup to suggest they will be very competitive when they get to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup.

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SAM Clipperton is already wasting hard to ride 1000 Guineas winner Stay With Me at 49kg in the Group 1 Myer Classic at Flemington on Derby Day.

The star Sydney jockey usually rides around 54kg but he has been gradually peeling off the kilos in recent weeks so he could be ready for opportunities like the Stay With Me ride.

Clipperton will also ride Man Of Choice in the Victoria Derby.

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GREG Miles, the voice of Melbourne racing, admitted he has been suffering ill health and apologised for calling the Caulfield Cup winner, Mongolian Khan, by the wrong name in the final 400m of the race.

Miles was calling a record 35th Caulfield Cup but in the days leading up to the big race, he required medical attention for his health problems.

His Cup call prompted a wave of criticism on social media and Miles, to his credit, went on Melbourne radio yesterday to apologise.

The criticism even prompted Racing Victoria chief executive Bernard Saundry to take the unusual step of issuing statement yesterday asking for Miles “to be cut some slack given his health battles and distinguished career.’’

Miles, the ultimate professional, will call his 35th Melbourne Cup next month, breaking the record of Joe Brown.

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THE crowds continue to flock to Royal Randwick with more than 15,000 attending City Tattersall’s Club Cup Day.

This continues an encouraging trend for Sydney racing with Randwick clearly the most popular racetrack venue for punters.

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RACING NSW is a on a winner with its TAB Highway Handicap concept.

The inaugural Highway Handicap, restricted to country-trained gallopers, was run at Randwick and proved very competitive with Grand Proposal scoring an exciting win with only about a length covering the first five over the line.

Grand Proposal being ridden by Winona Costin (right).

These races are going to prove popular betting mediums with good field sizes that will be loaded with chances.

The Jenny Graham-trained juvenile filly Miss Amajardan, who cost just $6,500 as a yearling, struck another blow for bush racing at Randwick when she maintained her unbeaten record in the Victory Vein Plate.

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NIGHT racing returns to Canterbury this Friday, coinciding with the Manikato Stakes meeting at Moonee Valley.

But the Australian Turf Club has programmed only four night race meetings this spring-summer season for Canterbury, the lowest number since the concept was introduced more than 15 years ago.

It seems the ATC is marking time with night racing until the Moore Park light rail project is completed and then lights can be installed at Royal Randwick.

WHAT WE LEARNT

Ray Thomas analyses the Melbourne Cup form from Saturday’s Caulfield Cup.

1 Mongolian Khan

TAB odds: $14 - $7

Was forced to make a sustained run from the 700m mark in an outstanding staying effort.

2 Trip To Paris

TAB odds: $16 - $6

Solid Cup trial, even better served at Flemington.

3 Our Ivanhowe

TAB odds: $16

Flying under the radar. Could be the knockout horse at Flemington.

4 Gust Of Wind

TAB odds: $18

Tough mare who ran out of her skin. Slight doubt about her at 3200m.

5 Snow Sky

TAB odds: $16 - $10

Super effort, right on target for the big one.

6 Fame Game

TAB odds: $7 - $4.60

Fantastic Melbourne Cup trial. Deserved favourite for Flemington.

7 Who Shot Thebarman

TAB odds: $12

Proven two-miler who was doing his best work late. Pleasing Cup trial

Opie Bosson (red/white) on Mongolian Khan wins the 2015 Caulfield Cup. Picture: Nicole Garmston

8 Hauraki

TAB odds: $18 - $21

Blew the start so his effort was good. Doubtful Cup starter.

9 Lucia Valentina

TAB odds: N/A

Never really in contention and most unlikely to run.

10 Hokko Brave

TAB odds: $16

Trapped wide so his unplaced effort can be forgiven. Don’t rule him out.

11 Grand Marshal

TAB odds: $31 - $26

Unsuited by Caulfield but worked to the line well. Proven over 3200m.

12 Volkstock’n’barrell

TAB odds: N/A

Hasn’t found his autumn form and unlikely to run at Flemington.

13 Rising Romance

TAB odds: $31 - $51

Disappointing effort and unlikely to back-up in Melbourne Cup.

14 Magnapal

TAB odds: N/A

Outclassed and would be beaten even further in Melbourne Cup.

15 Protectionist

TAB odds: $26 - $41

Finding it tough on firm tracks with big weights. Needs some give in ground if he’s to go back-to-back.

16 Set Square

TAB odds: $18 - $41

Surprising leader and faulted badly under pressure. Won’t run 3200m on this effort.

17 Magicool

TAB odds: $81

Queensland Derby winner last season but seems to be hopelessly out of form.

18 Royal Descent

TAB odds: $51

Trapped three deep without cover at the start. Going for a spell after career-worst effort.

Opie Bosson celebrates his victory. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Originally published as Mongolian Khan right in the Melbourne Cup mix with magificent Caulfield Cup performance