The $2.65m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) is one of the spring’s three features, along with the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup.
The last decade has provided some memorable Caulfield Cup moments, as well as some moments that would best be forgotten.
You can relive them here, as we’ve compiled videos of the last 10 Caulfield Cups along with a short description of each.
Credit must go to Twitter user @ParthiThillai, who managed to compile all these from across the internet. Some have been uploaded to Youtube by TVN in the last few days, while others were already online.
Sadly, some of the best Caulfield Cup moments are not online. Might and Power’s barnstorming victory in 1997 and Shane Dye’s controversial ride on Veandercross in 1992 are two such moments.
Hopefully, they will be on Youtube before next year’s Melbourne Cup. For now, enjoy the last 10 replays.
2002 – NORTHERLY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UebOd2V7o5k
“Northerly beats Fields of Omagh in a photo in a grand Caulfield Cup…” – so Greg Miles called the result of the 2002 Caulfield Cup. Indeed, history looks favourably on that edition of the race. “The Fighting Tiger”, as Northerly was so fondly known, was already a winner of the 2001 Cox Plate, as well as two Underwood Stakes, a Railway Stakes, a Feehan Stakes, a Yalumba Stakes and a Craiglee Stakes. A week later, he would add a second Cox Plate. Fields of Omagh, in time, would join Northerly as a dual Cox Plate winner, saluting in 2003 and 2006. It was also a global edition, with eventual Melbourne Cup placegetter Beekeeper running sixth for Godolphin, while Hong Kong’s Helene Vitality finished 12th. Other notable runners included Distinctly Secret, Freemason, Pentastic, Kaapstad Way, Universal Prince and Dash For Cash. Truly a grand Caulfield Cup.
2003 – MUMMIFY
Danny Nikolic has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months, but even his harshest critics would have to admit that his ride on Mummify in the 2003 Caulfield Cup was a gem. He looked a non-winner early in his career, with placings in the Rosehill Guineas and AJC Derby crowning features, but a trip to Adelaide seemed to switch the horse on. He won the South Australian Derby in stylish fashion. He returned in the spring to win the Underwood Stakes before a poor showing in the Turnbull Stakes. He ran second to Lonhro in the Caulfield Stakes at his final preparation for the Caulfield Cup, and he was heavily backed to start favourite. Nikolic rode the perfect race, taking Mummify to the lead from barrier 13 and controlling it to lead all the way. It was a ride judged to perfection. He was set to start favourite in the Melbourne Cup but he was ruled out after a poor run in the Mackinnon Stakes. Behind Mummify, a notable run came from eventual Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, who flashed home along the rails after striking trouble – it was a precursor for what was to follow 17 days later.
2004 – ELVSTROEM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eXpNSKf6Sc
Any Caulfield Cup where a subsequent Dubai Duty Free winner defeats a triple Melbourne Cup winner is going to be an incredible contest. Elvstroem – or as his legion of fans called him, Elvis – came in as the form horse, having won the Underwood Stakes and the Turnbull Stakes. Makybe Diva’s form wasn’t so flash, but it wasn’t expected to be. At the top of the straight, Elvstroem had kicked away with Makybe Diva chasing down the outside. In what was a two horse war, Elvstroem managed to hold off the challenge of Makybe Diva to score a narrow victory. Back in third was the ever-consistent Grey Song. Elvis would go to the Cox Plate, where he bombed the start and lost any chance, while Makybe Diva went on to claim the second of her three Melbourne Cups 17 days later.
2005 – RAILINGS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSxleLEd1sM
The 2005 Caulfield Cup is perhaps notable for what happened behind the winner, as opposed to the winner himself. Railings would have another 29 starts after this win, for various trainers, but he wouldn’t win again. But the action happened behind Railings. Second across the line was Japan’s first ever spring carnival entrant Eye Popper, who produced one of the truly phenomenal runs in Caulfield Cup history. He was four wide the whole trip, without cover, and yet he somehow managed to keep finding and looked the winner until the final few strides. It was a similar run to what Delta Blues would produce in the same race a year later. Third was Mummify, who kept fighting on in an attempt to repeat his 2003 success. For a few moments, it looked like it was a possibility. Sadly, he broke down a couple of hundred metres past the post and he could not be saved. He was euthanised the following day. Fifth in the race was Leica Falcon, who stormed home from last on the home turn. It was this run, more than any other, which showed his potential – sadly, this potential was never filled as he battled injuries. He was never the same. Sixth was El Segundo, the lightly raced favourite who had worked his way through the grades to end up in the Caulfield Cup. A troubled passage didn’t help here, but he’d get his own big race glory in time, winning the 2007 Cox Plate. It was definitely a unique race.
2006 – TAWQEET
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ixlVQEX-6I
English St Leger placegetter Tawqeet had looked a horse of great promise but it was not until The Metropolitan that he hit his straps. He defeated Activation by a half length, but he still started at juicy odds at Caulfield. He didn’t look likely until the last few metres, when he got a late split and defeated the gallant Aqua D’Amore. Third was Delta Blues, who was wide all the way but stuck on solidly at 80-1. Pop Rock flew home for seventh. Of course, two weeks later they would record a historic quinella at Flemington.
2007 – MASTER O’REILLY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMNeqPbCyWg
The story of the 2007 Caulfield Cup is not shown in the video above. No, the story of the 2007 edition of this race revolves around Maldivian and Eskimo Queen, who were both scratched at the barriers after separate incidents at the stalls. The video below explains it best. In what was an equine influenza-affected year, Maldivian was set to start one of the shortest priced favourites in years after slashing wins in the JRA Cup and the Caulfield Stakes. The front runner drew the prized inside barrier, but this also meant that he was loaded first. He became fractious and reared, cutting his neck on a piece of equipment Channel 9 had inside the stalls. While this was happening, Eskimo Queen lay down in the barriers and became cast. Incredibly, the first and second favourites were late scratchings. They were trotted back to the mounting yard, passing the large crowd – the enduring image of the day is Maldivian with blood streaming down his neck. In time, they’d both get their revenge, to varying degrees. Eskimo Queen would win the Coolmore Classic the following autumn, while Maldivian came back and won the Cox Plate in 2008. Meanwhile, the reduced field of 16 contested the weakened race, with Master O’Reilly coming out on top of his stablemate Douro Valley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c697BWbBusQ
2008 – ALL THE GOOD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86_B-GFuY9A
Godolphin have long strived to win the Melbourne Cup, without success. They’d won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on a couple of occasions, but hadn’t struck a blow in the Cups. This changed in 2008 when Ebor Handicap winner All The Good emerged victorious under a gun ride from Kerrin McEvoy. All The Good started at 40-1, largely ignored, but he defied the betting to win the race from Nom du Jeu, who came with a slashing run down the outside, and Barbaricus, who stuck on grimly at 125-1. Godolphin looked to have their best Melbourne Cup chance, but sadly, he didn’t make the great race. Godolphin remains winless in the Flemington feature, although they will attempt to win this year with Cavalryman and Lost In The Moment. The 10th placegetter Viewed was the last Melbourne Cup winner to come through the race.
2009 – VIEWED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wwiDHdJ6kk
It is such a rarity for original topweights to win the Caulfield Cup that most are ignored almost instantly. Despite his gutsy Melbourne Cup win in 2008 and his good form at weight for age in the 2009 autumn, he was almost forgotten in the lead up to the Caulfield Cup. Bart Cummings had three runners, with Toorak Handicap winner Allez Wonder the most fancied of the trio. However, it was his other two runners that provided the legendary trainer with his second Caulfield Cup quinella (he achieved it in 1980 with Ming Dynasty and Hyperno). Roman Emperor shot to the lead around the home turn, but Viewed got through along the inside under a masterful ride from Brad Rawiller. Vigor rallied late for third. Sadly, Viewed died the following autumn.
2010 – DESCARADO
One of the wetter Caulfield Cups in recent times saw Gai Waterhouse record her first Caulfield Cup win with Descarado. The former Kiwi had shown good form in the autumn, running second to Shoot Out in the AJC Derby, but his form leading into the Caulfield Cup was sub-par. He did win the Hill Stakes in Sydney, but finished near the tail of the field in the Turnbull Stakes. But on the wet track, he proved too tough for Harris Tweed and Monaco Consul. Both first and third proved the strength of the four year old form. Descarado chased home So You Think in the Mackinnon Stakes before failing to finish the Melbourne Cup.
2011 – SOUTHERN SPEED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avkjQR-BDaA
The less said about this race, the better. A year on, it doesn’t look quite as bad as it did at the time. But in terms of Caulfield Cups, it was still a low point. Southern Speed had the cushy run behind the speed and she had it in the bag a long way out. Good runs at weight for age in the year since – a second to Black Caviar in the Orr Stakes, a narrow defeat to Manighar in the Australian Cup and a narrow victory over Manighar in the Makybe Diva Stakes – perhaps suggest that her win was no fluke. Her real test comes tomorrow, however, when she tries to become the first mare to win back-to-back Caulfield Cups. Green Moon was an enormous run, and perhaps it is no surprise that as he has continued to acclimatise, he has become better and better. He’s likely to start close to favourite in the Cox Plate next week after a determined Turnbull Stakes win. Manighar, fourth here, has turned it around under Peter Moody, while Lucas Cranach looked a weight for age star but injury has curtailed his plans. December Draw had excuses and Niwot was wide all the way. Outside of the aforementioned runners, the rest hardly look deserving of a spot in the Caulfield Cup. It is not a Caulfield Cup that will go down in the annals of legend.
2012 – ?????
Who will it be this year? Stand by for The Hawk’s comprehensive Caulfield Cup preview.
