2024 Caulfield Cup field: Perfect for favourite Buckaroo, but a shocker for Eliyass

Australia’s leading trainers dominate the field for Saturday’s $5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup ahead of the 12.45pm barrier draw.

Gai Waterhouse’s quest for a second $5m Caulfield Cup (2400m) has become harder with strongly fancied Eliyass drawn barrier 21 – widest of all.

Eliyass will come in at least three spots with emergencies all drawn low. Waterhouse won the 2010 Caulfield Cup with Descarado.

Power trainers Ciaron Maher and Chris Waller both have four acceptors in the field, with both of Waller’s top chances – Buckaroo (barrier 8) and Land Legend (1) – drawing well. Waller also has Valiant King (18) and emergency Francesco Guardi (11) in the final field.

Maher’s Sydney Cup winner Circle of Fire drew barrier 13, while Duke De Sessa (6) and Sayedaty Sadaty (2) fared much better. Emergency Berkshire Breeze drew barrier 15.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Eliyass eased $6 to $7 with Ladbrokes after the draw, while Buckaroo remained the $5 favourite. Land Legend and Zardozi, drawn barrier 12, also stayed firm at $8.

Sayedaty Sadaty shortened the most, having scraped into the final field and drawn barrier two, going from $17 to $10 with Ladbrokes. Sayedaty Sadaty was $13 before the barrier draw.

One-time Caulfield Cup favourite Warmonger eased $13 to $15 after being drawn in barrier 16.

• Danny O’Brien: The trainer who’s a law unto himself

Likely leader Deny Knowledge has a task ahead of her from barrier 17 for reigning Caulfield Cup-winning trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman. Deny Knowledge won the Might And Power Stakes last Saturday and bounced out of the run superbly to warrant a back-up into the Caulfield Cup.

Japanese runner Warp Speed, who will make his local debut in the Caulfield Cup, was dealt the visitor’s draw in barrier 19 while the Kris Lees-trained topweight Kalapour will jump from barrier 4.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

2024 CAULFIELD CUP (2400m)
No. | Horse | (Barrier) | (Trainer) | Jockey | Weight
1 KALAPOUR (4) (Kris Lees) Ben Melham 55kg
2 BUCKAROO (8) (Chris Waller) Joao Moreira 54.5kg
3 CIRCLE OF FIRE (13) (Ciaron Maher) John Allen 54.5kg
4 WARP SPEED (19) (Noboru Takagi) Akira Sugawara 54.5kg
5 HUETOR (7) (Peter Snowden) Luke Currie 54kg
6 WARMONGER (16) (Mick Price, Michael Kent Jr) Mick Dee 53.5kg
7 ELIYASS (21) (Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott) Tim Clark 53kg
8 LAND LEGEND (1) (Chris Waller) Zac Purton 53kg
9 YOUNG WERTHER (10) (Danny O’Brien) Jye McNeil 52.5kg
10 DUKE DE SESSA (6) (Ciaron Maher) Harry Coffey 52kg
11 KNIGHT’S CHOICE (14) (John Symons, Sheila Laxon) Robbie Dolan 51.5kg
12 MURAMASA (5) (Trent Busuttin, Natalie Young) Daniel Moor
13 ZARDOZI (12) (James Cummings) Andrea Atzeni 51kg
14 COCO SUN (20) (Tony & Calvin McEvoy) Karis Teetan 50.5kg
15 DENY KNOWLEDGE (17) (Anthony & Sam Freedman) Craig Newitt 50.5kg
16 VALIANT KING (18) (Chris Waller) Teo Nugent 50.5kg
17 POSITIVITY (9) (Andrew Forsman) Winona Costin 50kg
18 SAYEDATY SADATY (2) (Ciaron Maher) Ben Thompson 50kg
Emergencies
19e FANCY MAN (3) (Annabel Neasham, Rob Archibald) TBC 50kg
20e BERKSHIRE BREEZE (15) (Ciaron Maher) TBC 50kg
21e FRANCESCO GUARDI (11) (Chris Waller) TBC 52kg