3 minute read
A look at the international influence on the Caulfield Cup, the $5 million race that has attracted six overseas-trained horses this year.
THE CAULFIELD CUP AND THE INTERNATIONALS
OVERSEAS WINNERS
2014 - Admire Rakti (JPN) - trainer Tomoyuki Umeda - jockey Zac Purton
2012 - Dunaden (FR) - trainer Mikel Delzangles - jockey Craig Williams
2008 - All The Good (IRE) - trainer Saeed Bin Suroor - jockey Kerrin McEvoy
1998 - Taufan's Melody (GB) - trainer Lady Herries - jockey Ray Cochrane
OVERSEAS PLACEGETTERS
2017 - Johannes Vermeer (IRE) - trainer Aidan O'Brien - jockey Ben Melham
2016 - Scottish (IRE) - trainer Charlie Appleby - jockey Kerrin Mcevoy
2015 - Trip To Paris (IRE) - trainer Ed Dunlop - jockey Tommy Berry
2013 - Dandino (GB) - trainer Marco Botti - jockey Craig Williams
2006 - Delta Blues (JPN)- trainer Katsuhiko Sumii - jockey Nash Rawiller
2005 - Eye Popper (JPN) - trainer Izumi Shimizu - jockey Shinji Fujita
THE PIONEER
The 1998 win by Taufan's Melody is one the most controversial. After opening the field to international runners, the Victorian Amateur Turf Club tapped the UK horse over local favourite Our Unicorn, waving the prize money conditions needed to qualify.
The controversy didn't end there. Taufan Melody's jockey Ray Cochrane was hit with a long ban and fine for a devil-may-care ride.
A DECADE AGO
It took 10 years before the internationals struck again, this time with All The Good.
Sent out by UK-based trainer Saeed bin Suroor, All The Good secured Godolphin's first Group One Australian victory.
Godolphin is running Best Solution in this year's Caulfield Cup.
THE JAPANESE IMPACT
A year after Eye Popper became the first Japanese horse to contest, and place, in the 2005 Caulfield Cup, trainer Katsuhiko Sumii made history.
After finishing third in the Caulfield Cup, the Sumii-trained Delta Blues triumphed over stablemate Pop Rock in a 2006 Melbourne Cup quinella.
Eight years later the Japanese contingent returned with Admire Rakti, who stormed home to take the Caulfield Cup for trainer Tomoyuki Umeda.
Heavily backed to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double, Admire Rakti finished and later collapsed in his stall and died.
THIS YEAR'S INTERNATIONALS
* Best Solution (GB) - trainer Saeed Bin Suroor - jockey Pat Cosgrave
* The Cliffsofmoher (IRE) - trainer Aidan O'Brien - jockey Mark Zahra
* Chestnut Coat (JPN) - trainer Yoshito Yahagi - jockey Yuga Kawada
* Duretto (GB) - trainer Andrew Balding - jockey Dwayne Dunn
* Red Verdon (USA) - trainer Ed Dunlop (GB) - jockey Zac Purton
* Sole Impact (JPN) - trainer Hirofumi Toda - jockey Ryusei Sakai
WHAT THE OVERSEAS CONNECTIONS ARE SAYING
"All The Good was a nice horse. This one, his form is very good too ... he's a proven horse and we thought he was the right horse to send here as he's twice a Group One winner" - Saeed bin Suroor on Best Solution.
"I suppose we are not expected to win, we are expected to run well, so if we win it's a bonus" - TJ Comerford, assistant trainer to Aidan O'Brien, on The Cliffsofmoher.
"I'm really satisfied with how he's been training here and he's in excellent condition ... hopefully, now he can run a good race" - Yoshito Yahagi on Chestnut Coat.
