Dolphin Jo is now almost certain to back up in Saturday's $2.5 million Caulfield Cup after gaining an automatic berth with his win in the Winning Edge Presentations Stakes.Trainer Terry O'Sullivan, who hasn't had a Caulfield Cup runner before, said Dolphin Jo had come through Saturday's 2400m Group Two event in fine fettle."He pulled up well. We took him for a swim this morning," said O'Sullivan who co-trains the six-year-old with his daughter Karina.The O'Sullivans have Dolphin Jo aimed at his
Dolphin Jo is now almost certain to back up in Saturday's $2.5 million Caulfield Cup after gaining an automatic berth with his win in the Winning Edge Presentations Stakes.
Trainer Terry O'Sullivan, who hasn't had a Caulfield Cup runner before, said Dolphin Jo had come through Saturday's 2400m Group Two event in fine fettle.
"He pulled up well. We took him for a swim this morning," said O'Sullivan who co-trains the six-year-old with his daughter Karina.
The O'Sullivans have Dolphin Jo aimed at his third successive tilt at the Melbourne Cup in which he finished fifth last year.
The plan had been to go through the Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) on October 25 as he has done the past two years when sixth both times.
However the victory made him exempt from the Caulfield Cup ballot and the lucrative prizemoney tempted the O'Sullivans and owner-breeders Glenis and Lois Herrmann to rethink the campaign.
The gelding carried 56kg on Saturday and was given 51.5kg in both Cups, but the win makes him liable for a Melbourne Cup penalty.
With Yalumba Stakes runner-up Pompeii Ruler an unlikely Caulfield Cup runner, the weights will be raised 1.5kg with Weekend Hussler carrying topweight of 57kg.
O'Sullivan said Dolphin Jo would not have a run in between the Cups.
"We'll probably take him to Horsham for an exhibition gallop between races at the Horsham Cup meeting on Sunday week (October 26) ," he said.
Described by O'Sullivan as "a tough little stayer" Dolphin Jo will be running three Saturdays in a row in the Caulfield Cup as he ran fourth in The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington last Saturday week.
"If it happened to rain it would be a bonus," said the trainer of Dolphin Jo who was suited by the dead ground to land his first win since 2007 The Bart Cummings.
Brilliantly ridden by Clare Lindop, Dolphin Jo ($12) was locked away on the fence midfield in the small field of eight, but she got him into the clear at the top of the straight and he did the rest going on to score by a length from The Wolverine with race leader Cefalu third.
"I followed Zavite hoping he would take me into the race and he did. It worked out well," said Lindop who rode Dolphin Jo in last year's Melbourne Cup.