THE barrier draw is not conducted until this morning, but the money keeps coming for Saturday's Caulfield Cup favourite December Draw, who is now likely to run the shortest-priced favourite in the race for 45 years, reports The Age. It says: The lack of any shock reinclusions into the race at yesterday's final acceptances forced December Draw's price in from $2.50 to $2.30 with TAB Sportsbet and if he draws a favourable inside barrier today, he could start as short as even money for the $2.5 mil
THE barrier draw is not conducted until this morning, but the money keeps coming for Saturday's Caulfield Cup favourite December Draw, who is now likely to run the shortest-priced favourite in the race for 45 years, reports The Age.
It says: The lack of any shock reinclusions into the race at yesterday's final acceptances forced December Draw's price in from $2.50 to $2.30 with TAB Sportsbet and if he draws a favourable inside barrier today, he could start as short as even money for the $2.5 million race. He looks certain to run shorter than Sobar when he took the Caulfield Cup at $3 in 1972 but is unlikely to be as hot as Tobin Bronze, who went around at about $1.75 in 1966 before finishing sixth to Galilee.
Eight of the 10 top-weighted horses for Saturday's Caulfield Cup began their racing careers in Europe. In another indicator to the 'strength' of the race, December Draw is being backed to the exclusion of all other runners despite having two big queries against his name. His claims on the Caulfield Cup are either diminished or enhanced with this morning's barrier draw, while he also has to prove he can run out the 2400 metres. Only twice since 1971 have horses gone to the 2400 metres and won for the first time in their careers in the Caulfield Cup. They were Let's Elope (1991) and Northerly (2002).
Weights for the Cup had to be raised 2.5 kilograms to have a minimum 57-kilogram topweight - Mighty High. (www.theage.com.au)