Not a day for favourites–2022 Caulfield Cup

Caulfield Cup 2022– Durston (pale blue silks) is about to take the lead from Gold Trip

It was in 2019 that I last attended the Caulfield Cup meeting, and I remember the day being cold, windy and wet. The appropriately  named Japanese trained Mer De Glace won the Cup.

This year it was overcast, a welcome change from the deluge that bedevilled Melbourne during the week, and it stayed dry throughout the afternoon.

As the Caulfield Cup was scheduled to run at the late time of 5.15pm, I took my time getting to the track, arriving just in time to watch Race 4, the Ethereal Stakes, a race for three year old fillies over 2000 metres. On a side note Ethereal won the Caulfield Cup in 2001 and the Melbourne Cup the same year.

The course was crowded so I had to settle on a spot on the fence far from the finishing post. I did however manage to get in some photo practice snapping shots of the field as they made their way to the starting gates.

The race was won by Renaissance Woman from Foxy Cleopatra and Pavitra.

 
Renaissance Woman

Foxy Cleopatra

Pavitra

I had better luck finding a good spot on the fence for the next races, by sneaking into the media area next to the public lawn, expecting to be thrown out, but I remained undisturbed. The only down side was having to listen to the inane conversations of  the regular punters occupying the lawn next to me

Here’s a photo of some of them…

Anyway, up next was the Gothic Stakes, a race for three year old colts and geldings run over 1400 metres.

Angry Skies started as favourite, but was relegated to second by Sandpaper who scored a narrow win. Custodian, who led throughout, finished third

Sandpaper (blue silks)  tackles Custodian up the straight

Race 6 was the listed Alinghi Stakes, a sprint over 1100 metres.  It resulted in a photo finish between A Very fine Red and Shalstar, with the former winning by a whisker. My photos of this race were a failure, but I had better luck with Race 7, another sprint, where Asfoora led from the start to the finish  to win by over two lengths from Kallos. Generation ran third a further two lengths behind.

Asfoora burns up the straight untroubled by challengers

By this time it was mid afternoon and there was only one more race to watch before the feature Caulfield Cup. This was the quite interesting Group 2 Tristarc Stakes for mares, run over 1400 metres. And of course The Everest was set to run at 4.15pm and more interesting than what was on offer at Caulfield. The unfancied light weight three year old Giga Kick beat the class field  at big odds. Hot Favourite Nature Strip finished fourth.

It was good to see the Peter Moody trained Chain of Lightning win again. She won the Tristarc Stakes easily from Palaisipan and Pride of Jenni.

Chain of Lightning on her way to winning the Tristarc Stakes

As Caulfield Cup fields go, this years edition was not all that inspiring. Smokin Romans who had won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at his last start was the favourite, but outsider Durston proved the winner in the end,  beating another long shot in Gold Trip to the line. Knights Order finished third.

Durston on his way to the barriers

Gold Trip on his way to the barriers

I headed home after the Caulfield Cup. It had been a moderately interesting afternoon of racing action, but better things beckon next Saturday with the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.