Australia: If he goes, Gold Trip is favored in Caulfield Cup

Gold Trip, a 6-year-old horse bred in France who finished second last year, was the 5-1 favorite in betting overnight for Saturday’s renewal of the Group 1, US$3.15 million Caulfield Cup, the first of the big three races in the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

That is presuming he goes.

Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have said if the course is too firm, Gold Trip might skip the handicap race that goes 2,400 meters, about 15 yards shy of 1 1/2 miles. It will take more than a full circuit around the 1 1/4-mile, left-handed turf course that is expected to be rated good at the 2:15 a.m. EDT post time.

Owned by a partnership led by Australian Bloodstock, Gold Trip is coming off a win 11 days ago in the Turnbull (G1) covering 1 1/4 miles at nearby Flemington. Ben Melham would take over the assignment from Mark Zahra and ride the two-time Group 1 winner from post 11 in the field of 18 plus one also-eligible.

West Wind Blows, a 4-year-old gelding and the 11-2 second choice, was second in the Turnbull for trainers Simon and Ed Crisford. Drawn into post 2, the England-based son of Teofilo has been a handful in the paddock at times, but he has his regular jockey Jamie Spencer in for the ride. West Wind Blows, who finished third in the Eclipse (G1) at Sandown, England, on July 8, carries 119 pounds, 10 fewer than the top weight of 129 assigned to Gold Trip.

A son of two-time world no. 1 Frankel, 4-year-old gelding Soulcombe carries 118 pounds and odds of 6-1 from post 6. Trained by Chris Waller of Winx fame and ridden by Craig Williams, Germany-bred Soulcombe took third in the Turnbull and was a winner three starts ago at Caulfield, scoring in the 1 1/16-mile Heatherlie Handicap.

Zahra will be on 6-1 Without A Fight, who finished sixth Sept. 23 in the 1 1/8-mile Underwood (G1) on the same Caulfield course. Before that the 6-year-old Ireland-bred gelding by Teofilo was a two-time group-stakes winner in May and June at Eagle Farm. Anthony and Sam Freedman train Without A Fight, who will break from post 7 and carry 122 pounds.

Breakup, who was 9-1 in overnight betting, comes off a four-month break carrying 121 pounds and the hopes of Japan. The 5-year-old Novellist horse last won nearly a year ago in the República Argentina (G2) covering 1 9/16 miles at Tokyo Racecourse. Last out he finished 12th to reigning Japan champion Equinox on June 25 in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) going 1 3/4 miles at Hanshin. With local jockey Damian Lane riding from post 5, trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka is using the Caulfield Cup to prep Breakup for the Melbourne Cup (G1) on Nov. 7.

The Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup bookend the major races of the Spring Carnival. The 1 1/4-mile Cox Plate (G1), widely regarded as the best weight-for-age race in the southern hemisphere, will be next Saturday at Moonee Valley.