Absurde to focus solely on Melbourne Cup

Willie Mullins has decided to bypass the Caulfield Cup with his stayer Absurde, aiming exclusively for the Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Absurde was not among the 89 first acceptances for the $5 million Caulfield Cup, with connections opting for a later shipment to target the Cup.

Among the remaining international contenders for the Caulfield Cup are Japanese stayer Warp Speed and Brian Ellison’s Onesmoothoperator, alongside local hopefuls like Without A Fight, Warmonger, and Riff Rocket. Relentless Voyager, initially trained by Andrew Balding, stays in contention after transferring to Ciaron Maher.

Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien has withdrawn all his horses from the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup, leaving Japanese star Prognosis and Harry Eustace’s Docklands as the only overseas contenders for the Cox Plate. Local entries like Pride Of Jenni, Mr Brightside, and Via Sistina remain in the mix, with several three-year-olds, including Broadsiding and Linebacker, also eyeing the race.

Broadsiding and Manaal headline the 103 nominations for the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, which includes fillies competing against colts and geldings. Pre-nominations favourites for the $3 million race are Storm Boy, Linebacker, Angel Capital, and Epimeles.