The historic 150th running of the G1 Caulfield Cup is taking the race into a new era, with an overdue prize money upgrade to a whopping $6,545,000 - and it’s not before time!
The 2026 field for our great 2400m handicap is a beauty. Can the best from the west, Cosmic Crusader, take a big step closer to champion status?
It's not a Cup these days without Euro raiders.Three are among the rivals who will attempt to thwart the Crusader's path to glory.
The barrier one voodoo vibe has landed in the camp of Roger Varian's Enfijaar this year, and the son of Lope De Vega is faced with the task of becoming the first winner to jump from there since Velocity in 1941.
Backers of Harry Charlton's well fancied Wine Dark Sea won't have any trouble picking him out in the run. His newly registered set of colours for Aussie managing owner Sonny Grebe are psychedelic!
Joseph O'Brien has thrown a real curve ball with Starford, a backmarker with formlines that don't read as overly impressive. He is used to carrying big weights over staying trips and 53.5 is going to feel like nothing - but he hasn't run a place in his three runs in big fields so that's a pass from me.l
Reigning Cups King Half Yours is looking to be the first horse since the immortal Rising Fast to win consecutive Caulfield Cups, and the only other to achieve the feat was the great Poseidon in 1906/07.
Half Yours goes up to 57.5kg. It will be some achievement if he wins, but I just can't see it happening.
There are two Melbourne Cup winners in the field, with comeback kid Knights Order striking form at the right time
Ciaron Maher is winning everything going and has five horses in the final field, including second favourite Zahrann and the well fancied Saint George, plus three of the four emergencies!
Waller counters with three, and rates his best hope as the dual Oaks heroine Ohope Wins.
Cox Plate placed Treasurethe Moment, reigning ATC Derby hero Green Spaces, Kingswood and Royal Supremacy are all G1 winners while Soul Of Spain has twice been runner up at that level.
The chances don't end there. With fine weather forecast, the track will be firming and I'm expecting an upgrade to Good 3 before The Cup.
Let's try to find the winner!
Top Pick: COSMIC CRUSADER (AUS)
There's no denying it, this is a huge ask for the pride of Western Australia.
Wide barrier, a good horse's weight and first time tested at 2400m - the son of Maurice is going to have to be very good.
But the way he won the Turnbull! That was a brutally run race, and Cosmic was so powerful to the line.
The Turnbull is still the best guide to the Cup, but you only need to run a decent race, not necessarily win or even place.
Let's look at the company Cosmic Crusader will be in if successful.
The last Turnbull winner to take the Cup with 55.5kg was Incentivise in 2021.
The year before Verry Elleegant won the Cup with 55kg after winning the Turnbull.
We then go right back to 2004 and ““Elvis” - the big boy Elvstroem, who won the Turnbull then led all the way under 54kg to hold off Makybe Diva in the Cup.
Cosmic Crusader will hope to channel the brave spirit of his fellow West Aussie, Northerly.
Northerly is the standout - he won the Turnbull then claimed his historic Cup lugging 58kg.
Then it was a four year old Sky Heights back in 1999, taking the Cup under 56.5kg…..
In more recent times Gold Trip carried 58.5 into third after winning the Turnbull in 2023, and was a narrow second in the Cup the year before with 57.5 after a fifth in the Turnbull.
The point is, these horses were champions. All but Zabeel's great son Sky Heights and the freak Northerly carried less weight than Cosmic Crusader will on Saturday.
Crusader has not yet proven he is in that league, though he is going in the right direction at a rate of knots!
I suspect that he might be a champ, which is why I'm putting him on top - but also thinking that the bookies are incredibly stingy with the measly odds they've offered.
I’m putting faith in the judgement of two geniuses in their respective fields - Cosmic Crusader’s breeder Bob Peters, and his jockey Willie Pike. If Bob and Pikey reckon the horse will run a strong 2400m with 56.5kg, I’m betting they are right.
Cosmic Crusader has now raced 22 times for 11 wins and 7 placings. His career earnings have topped $2.5 million.
Is he just too brilliant to win this? Fair question - but Bob and new trainer Andrea Leek are convinced this is the way to go with their rare talent.
What can Cosmic Crusader's pedigree tell us?
Foaled in New Zealand ( always a plus when the Cups come around!), Cosmic Crusader is the seventh G1 winner to date for Arrowfield's outstanding stallion Maurice.
The winner of six G1 races at home and abroad including the Hong Kong Mile, Hong Kong Cup and Champions Mile, Japan's 2015 HOTY Maurice is an unusually versatile sire. He was a Champion Sprinter as well as Champion Miler of Japan, and that turn of foot has been passed on.
We know he can get a champion 3YO who also has elite speed – Hitotsu - or a pure sprinting machine like his tough-as-nails G1 Doomben 10,000 winner Mazu.
Cosmic Crusader is the best of two winners from the classy Street Sense mare Cosmic Storm, who was also bred and raced by Peters, winning seven including the G3 WATC La Trice Classic and Belmont Oaks.
This female line is Colonial family 10 tracing to the taproot mare Betty, sired in the early days of NSW settlement by the famous Arabian stallion Hector out of the imported Old Betty.
Betty founded a prolific family and her line continues strong in the West, notably through her descendant Todvega, daughter Vegahoney and grand daughter La Volta.
Like Cosmic Crusader, they descend from Fine Pim, a daughter of the longtime champion WA sire Sansofine who got four winners of the Railway Stakes and became an elite broodmare sire.
One member of the family springs to mind regards the Cups - Leica Falcon, an unlucky fifth in the Caulfield Cup and fourth in Makybe Diva's historic third Melbourne Cup before his career was derailed by injury.
There hasn't been a superstar from the Betty line for quite some time, but back in the day Highborn ( Australian Cup, Sydney Cup, second in Carbine's Melbourne Cup) and The Assyrian (Melbourne Cup) were considered champions.
Cosmic Crusader is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m
Mr Prospector x5m,5m
Street Sense was a sensation on the track, becoming the first ever colt to take the Breeders Cup Juvenile ( by ten lengths!) and Kentucky Derby double.
As a broodmare sire, Street Sense is the damsire of the ill fated champion Roaring Lion who has three sons in this Cup - Kingswood, Middle Earth and Saint George. He also sired last year's third placed Valiant King - and he only got the chance to throw one solitary crop of foals!
Bob Peters has plenty of faith in the mating of Maurice over Cosmic Storm and she has a three year old colt by him called Cosmic Icon who is yet to race. The mare lost a filly by him before missing a cover, but happily she safely delivered a little sister to the Crusader this spring!
Cosmic Crusader has certainly more than justified the faith. Can he join Eurythmic (1920), Maple (1928), Northerly ( 2001) and the WA-bred Boom Time (2017's shock winner) on the Caulfield Cup honour roll?
Bob Peters went within a lip of winning a Caulfield Cup 38 years ago, when his horse Congressman just failed to nail the rank outsider Imposera on the line. To the naked eye it looked like the hard-charging Congressman had got up, but the photo said otherwise.
Redemption awaits.
Cosmic and Pikey will jump from barrier 17. Leave it to “The Wizard” to plot the course, and hope for a bit of the luck that's needed to win any Cup!
Next Best: SHE'S A HUSTLER (NZ)
I love this mare, but had mixed feelings when trainer Grahame Begg gave an honest interview during the week. My thought process in brackets.
“It was too wet last time ( fair enough), and she can’t cope with the high-pressure races” ( that's not what I wanted to hear).
“She needs a dry track (excellent) and to be able to come up for air at some time in the run . She needs to be able to come back and then travel through her gears” ( so basically, how the race is run will dictate her chances and we can't predict that, she probably runs top five or comes stone motherless last).
We can't predict much about any horse race - let alone this one, so if you’re a fan of a horse you've got to stay loyal and hope things fall their way!
Like Cosmic Crusader, Hustler has been patiently brought along by her master conditioner Grahame Begg.
She hasn't won a race since taking out the G2 Zipping Classic at WFA over this course from the under rated Light Infantry Man in the spring of last year, but has run some excellent races in WFA company - and this is the first time she steps up to 2400m since then. She also drops to just 53kg.
Her record now reads 17 - 7-4-1 for earnings of just over $1million.
She's A Hustler was bred by John Thompson and Greg Tomlinson, the respective principals of NZ nurseries Rich Hill Stud ( who stand her sire Ace High) and Nearco Stud.
She’s A Hustler was purchased out of Rich Hill’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by agent Phill Cataldo for $70,000.
After just one start for Roger James in NZ she found her way across the ditch.
The mare is one of five stakes winners for her sire, High Chaparral's G1 VRC Derby/ ATC Spring Champion hero Ace High, whose 3YO son Blind Raise was a gallant second in the Caulfield Guinea last weekend.
It's easy to forget how good a racehorse Ace High was - just the fourth horse in history to win the Spring Champion / VRC Derby double, and beaten a nose in the ATC Derby to boot!
This handsome son of High Chaparral boasts Redoutes Choice and Sunday Silence as his first and second damsires, and like his relatives Danehill, Halo and Machiavellian he is linebred to the family of his ancestress Almahmoud.
What's interesting is that his two G1 winners to date are daughters Molly Bloom and She's A Dealer.
She's A Hustler was the fourth foal and first stakes winner bred from the winning Bernardini mare Snow Petal, also dam of three other winners.
Snow Petal foaled a filly to Cambridge Stud's Frankel son Chaldean last season and was covered by him again.
She's A Hustler is bred
Seattle Slew x 4m,5m
Her damsire, the beautiful Bernardini was a champion and shuttled to Australia for Darley. He is a sought after broodmare sire worldwide with more than 20 G1 winners in that capacity, In Australia he sired the durable 5 x G1 winning sprinter miler Boban.
We’ll get to his grandsire the mighty Seattle Slew, but the number one influence in She's A Hustler's pedigree is that of Blue Hen Almahmoud.
Ace High is linebred to his own ancestress Spring Adieu ( ex Natalma) through daughters and half sisters Razyana ( His Majesty) dam of Danehill, and You're My Lady (Roberto by Hail To Reason), his fourth dam.
Ace High's second damsire is by Sunday Silence, by Hail To Reason from Natalma's half sister Cosmah and Cosmah's daughter Queen Sucree ( by His Majesty's sire Ribot) is the dam of Gleam Machine.
Bernardini contributes Spectacular Bid, a family relation (2-d) plus Natalma son Northern Dancer via a daughter, while his damsire Quiet American is another linebred to his own ancestress that being Cequillo, who like Almahmoud was a Mahmoud daughter.
Ace High's third damsire Local Talent was by Northern Dancer and from the 17-b family, which is also a strong presence in Roberto and particularly in the damlines of Sunday Silence - so this is a huge key as to how Ace High will breed on.
She's A Hustler's dam has plenty of this blood, notably via Johnstown, the damsire of To Market ( x 2 in Spectacular Bid) and Mr Prospector (Fappiano).
In Seattle Slew the family appears via the sire Negofol who is also carried by Redoute's Choice.
Seattle Slew is important for his inbreeding to full sisters Striking and Busher from La Troienne daughter Baby League, and his dam's inbreeding to her own ancestress Frizette ( also Mr Prospector's, and Darshaan's)
Redoute's Choice sex balances with Busher's full brother Mr Busher and more. Ace High's linebred ancestress Spring Adieu is by La Troienne's great descendant Buckpasser.
This pedigree also features linebreeding to Promised Land (damsire of Sunday Silence and Spectacular Bid), Hail To Reason, and to Blue Hens Lalun ( Never Bend sex balanced, half brother Bold Reason) and Somethingroyal.
Mickey Dee takes the reins on the big girl. Her trainer has said the tactics will be to ride her quiet.
Mickey and She’s A Hustler will stake their Cup claim from barrier 6.
Roughie: ROYAL SUPREMACY (IRE)
This is why I really like Royal Supremacy’s chances this year.
Last season he arrived third up as a last start winner of the G1 Metropolitan and came from last to run a great race for fifth!
This time the Ciaron Maher trained stayer is rising to 2400m first time in the prep and in winning form, having lugged 60kg to win the G3 JRA Cup.
Back in Europe at three he was an Italian Derby runner up, and a close third in the 2400m G2 King Edward VII at Royal Ascot to the freakish Calandagan.
I think Royal Supremacy is a very talented fast stayer and he now drops to 54.5kg. The downside is, Zahra jumps off to ride Half Yours and Royal Supremacy's new pilot is veteran Irish-born hoop Jamie Spencer who is flying in from the UK. Spencer has ridden major G1 winners in the USA, Canada, the UAE, Germany and France. The guy is good. What isn't so good? His riding record in Australia.
However, Jamie was on West Wind Blows when that horse was a head second to Without A Fight in the 2023 Caulfield Cup. So perhaps he’s got the hang of it. If Ciaron Maher has booked him, it’s good enough for me!
Royal Supremacy was purchased from the Ballylinch Stud draft at Tattersalls October Yearling Book Two for 65,000 guineas by JS Bloodstock and Andrew Balding, before he was snapped up by Australian Bloodstock.
The six year old will have his 15th start on Saturday. He has won 5 and placed in 3 for earnings of more than $2.1 million.
He is a half brother to stakes winner Adelaise and the best of four winners from four foals to race from Adelasia, a winning daughter of Iffraaj, and a half sister to two Group winners.
Her dam is stakes producer Flaming Song ( Darshaan) with the next damsires on the line being Kris, New Chapter by Crepello (a relative of Showdown and Red Ransom), Nearco's dual G1 winner Narrator, and Petition. Bigtime Classic firepower there!
Royal Supremacy is bred
Blue Hen Green Valley 5f,5m x
We can see some similarities with the pedigree of current star colt Warwoven, also linebred to that mare and from her direct family (16 -c, branch of Agnes), in combination with the Dubawi son Makfi ( Warwoven's damsire), who got Royal Supremacy’s sire Make Believe.
Royal Supremacy's own line of the Agnes family is 16-g, most often seen represented by the great Miswaki.
Royal Supremacy's sire Make Believe was a G1 winning miler in France and is out of a mare by the Arc winner Suave Dancer, whose dam was by another in Alleged. Suave Dancer stood briefly in Australia but was killed by lightning in his paddock. He was a very close relation to Zabeel's great stayer Zavite ( G1 Ranvet, Adelaide Cup, Auckland Cup, 2nd BMW etc). Make Believe's fifth dam is the Blue Hen Crystal Palace, from the same tribe as La Troienne.
Then there's the Iffraaj factor through Royal Supremacy's dam. Sustained speed, toughness, a bit of fire in the belly. Royal Supremacy is a strong- going animal but has become more tractable with time. He’s a powerhouse when he gets rolling!
Royal Supremacy and Jamie Spencer will launch from barrier 8.
Blowout: KINGSWOOD
If you are that “once a year” punter it's almost like an unwritten law that you've got to have a grey in your Cup bets, but it’s smart thinking - when they do run, they often run well!
Look at Valiant King, third last year at 25 /1 with Presage Nocturne at 60/1 motoring into fourth.
Bois D'Argent was 100/1 when fourth in 2023.
We've got to go back to 2013 to find the last grey winner of the Caulfield Cup - Reset's wonderful son Fawkner.
Barbaricus at 100/1 led all the way in 2008 and nearly pinched it. Dual placegetter Grey Song really deserved one, but he ran into Makybe Diva, Elvstroem and Mummify.
The 150th running of the Cup boasts two greys and neither of them will start as 100/1 pops that's for sure!
Two seven year old sons from the sole crop of the ill-fated champion Roaring Lion, Kingswood and Saint George, will both line up. I've gone with the horse at a bigger price. Why is Kingswood a bigger price? It must be because he drew barrier 20! A number of horses have won from extremely wide gates in recent years. It's not the end of the world.
Kingswood won the Heatherlie, then ran two great fourths in the Underwood and Caulfield Stakes. The classic formula, he now drops to 55kg. He's A G1 winner in NZ at WFA. His record is far superior to Saint George (not that Saint George can't win the Cup, no disrespect to him)
Granted this handsome entire was unplaced in his one start over 2400m in the G2 Zipping Classic, but that was on a heavy track he hated and almost two years ago, he's a different horse now.
The question of the trip still has to be answered but I’m feeling fairly confident. For one thing, his beautiful pedigree!
Lightly raced, Kingswood has had 19 starts, won 5 and placed in 2 more for over $1.3 million in prizemoney.
The grey is trained by Gavin Bedggood, and was purchased by his owner Glyn Davies, for 130,000 euros at the 2021 Goffs Ireland Orby Yearling Sale.
Kingswood was bred by Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud and is from a revered European family.
He is a half brother to Dubawi's G1 Irish St Leger /Doncaster St Leger champ Eldar Aldorov, and is out of the stakes winning All At Sea (Sea The Stars), herself a half sister to the dam of the mighty mare Alpinista ( The Arc, Yorkshire Oaks, Grand Prix de Saint Cloud, six G1 wins).
Their dam is the Triple G1 winner Albanova ( Alzao), a full sister to the dual G1 Champion Stakes heroine Albadora!
This royal pedigree is the reason Kingswood was never gelded, and it is hoped he will have a stud career. A Caulfield Cup win would help that cause! He deserves the opportunity, with that damline and as his great sire was so short lived. Kingswood could also have been called “Rolls Royce”.
Kingswood is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m
Sir Ivor 5f x 5f
His first five damsires are Sea The Stars, Alzao, Darshaan, Caro's champion stayer Crystal Palace and Grey Sovereign's great son Zeddaan. Underpinning this awesome collection of genetics is the damline which traces to Mah Iran, three quarter sister to Mahmoud.
Kingswood's fifth dam was thus a half sister to the dam of Nassipour. One of the greats! The sire of Let's Elope, Tie The Knot, and many more.
This family loves fast ground.
Kingswood is ready to peak fourth up and gets the winkers off. His best mate Johnny Allen will need to be at his wily best to navigate a path from gate 20 (before scratchings)
