The Irish team in charge of Johannes Vermeer could not be happier with the stayer ahead of the Caulfield Cup.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained horse finished second to Gailo Chop in the Caulfield Stakes on Saturday and with the final field of 17 announced for the Caulfield Cup he shares the top line of betting at $6 with Humidor and Bonneval.
O’Brien’s travelling foreman T J Comerford said Johannes Vermeer had taken his race well, his first outing since running second over 2414m in Ireland in August.
“He lost one kilo, two kilos at the most and put that back on in a day,” Comerford said.
“Now we’re back to square one.
“The horse is in great form and the lads are very happy with him.”
Comerford said Johannes Vermeer did not require a lot of work following Saturday’s race, noting how fresh and bright he was during exercise on Tuesday.
“The race was like a piece of work to him because he wasn’t knocked about,” Comerford said.
Stablemate The Taj Mahal will race in blinkers when he tackles Winx in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 28.
The Taj Mahal finished second last in the Caulfield Stakes but Comerford has noticed a change in attitude since that outing.
“I know all the focus is on Johannes Vermeer but The Taj Mahal is going well too,” Comerford said.
“He’s a lot more switched on and was wanting to do his work this morning, more so than last week.
“It’s hard with him as he’s that sort of horse but I can see a change in him for the better.”
The Willie Mullins-trained Wicklow Brave was taken to Kyneton to gallop prior to Tuesday’s meeting.
Travelling foreman Dave Casey said the trip away from Werribee was ideal in the lead-up to the Caulfield Cup.
He said the performance of Johannes Vermeer in the Caulfield Stakes also gave him confidence heading into Saturday’s race.
