Caulfield Cup tips and trifectas

The $3 million Caulfield Cup will be run on Saturday and here's the tips and trifectas from our editorial team.

We asked the boys for their Caulfield Cup tip based on a $50 investment and also what they'd do in the trifecta with $50 to play with.

The Caulfield Cup will be run as Race 8 on Saturday and they are scheduled to jump at 4.30pm.

STEPHEN BRASSEL

No. 3 – JOHANNES VERMEER ($50 WIN): Tried to get away from the favourite but the more I looked at his Caulfield Stakes run the more I can't see him being beaten provided he backs up and gets even luck from an inside gate. Powered to the line under weight-for-age conditions and back to a handicap here looks beautifully placed and I've got no concerns with him stepping up to 2400m having run a close second in Group III company at Leopardstown prior to his trip down-under. One major plus here is, while he is trained by Aidan O'Brien there's no doubt owner Lloyd Williams will have had significant input into the horse's preparation.

CLINTON PAYNE

No. 3 – JOHANNES VERMEER ($50 WIN):  I can't go past the lead-up run of this Aidan O'Brien international raider. I loved the way he ate up the ground late to get within a head of Gailo Chop in the Caulfield Stakes, defying the on-pace pattern of the race. Using that run as a guide I can't see how Jon Snow could turn the tables on him on Saturday and I regard the Kiwi as one of this Galileo stallion's biggest dangers. Only once during his 13 start career has he backed up in seven days and he won a Group I so that box is ticked and at his only 2400m run he was beaten a half-length in an Irish Group III two starts back when they beat the third horse easily. If he gets even luck in running, he will be hard to stop. The best roughie in the race is Hardham. He's well weighted and was beaten less than a length in the Australian Derby fourth-up in the autumn.

BRAD WATERS

No. 3 WICKLOW BRAVE ($25 EACH-WAY): I was on the Admire Deus bandwagon before the Japanese galloper's unfortunate injury, which showed the perils of 'all-in' betting in the Cups, so have had to look elsewhere. I've come up with Wicklow Brave in the Caulfield Cup because of the way he has thrived at the Werribee quarantine centre. He has been happy and keen in his work and, interestingly, he did work in blinkers on Thursday morning. Ignore his run in last year's Melbourne Cup in which he had a tough trip from the outside gate. Has drawn wide again in the Caulfield Cup but has had a lot more racing before heading to Australia this year with seven runs in 2017. He rolled forward and did a good job behind Rekindling in the Curragh Cup and in July and I'm thinking Joao Moreira will adopt similar tactics.

TOM WALTER

No. 14 – ABBEY MARIE ($25 EACH-WAY) : Going with some value in Abbey Marie. Ran well in the Caulfield Stakes last Saturday, finishing off as good as anything after getting too far back in a leader dominated affair. She's crying out for 2400m and is drawn favourably in five. With only 51.5kg on her back she looks the best roughie for sure.

DARRYL SHERER

No. 7 – JON SNOW ($25 EACH-WAY) : Just keeps improving and has plenty of points in his favour. He's a Group I winner over the trip, will race near the speed, has drawn ideally and is ready to peak after four runs this preparation. His chance will only be enhanced in the event of a soft track – I know, highly unlikely – and with the way the race is shaping he looks to have an undeniable chance. Rate Bonneval and Inference highly but I can see Jon Snow getting the run of the race and proving too strong in run home.

BEN DORRIES

No. 15 – HARLEM ($50 WIN) : So much to like about this Lindsay Park European import. Drops 5kg and will hardly know himself with 51.5kg, draws a beautiful soft gate and the blinkers finally go on for the $3 million Caulfield Cup which should improve him a length or two. Smashed them in the Group III Naturalism then had a tough work-out in a brutally run edition of The Bart Cummings which will have topped him off for this. We are getting double figure odds and I'm keen to have a lash. Happy to take on a few of those backing up from last week.

TOM BADDOCK

No. 16 – AMELIE'S STAR ($50 WIN) : I've been following this Darren Weir-trained mare all preparation. She raced without any luck prior to her outstanding win in the Bart Cummings (2500m) and could easily have had one or two more wins to her name this prep. She has closed hard on each occasion, recording outstanding sectionals and what makes me confident she will be right in the finish of the Caulfield Cup was the ease of her Bart Cummings win over the final stages – the further they went the further she was getting away. That was against last year's Melbourne Cup winner Almandin and dominant Naturalism winner Harlem. She's undefeated at all four career starts above 2000m and with just the featherweight of 51kg on her back and big race jockey Craig Williams aboard, I'm confident she can run a big race at nice odds.