Ready for 2015 Caulfield Cup

One of Australia's top races and among the richest handicaps in the world at the distance of 2,400 metres, the Caulfield Cup is held every year in October during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. The race takes place at the Caulfield Racecourse and is on the last day of the Caulfield Cup Carnival. The Caulfield Cup is open to horses of three years and above and offers over $3 million in purse money. It is one of a few races that gives horses direct entry into the Melbourne Cup upon winning. Most of the horses nominated for the 2015 Melbourne Cup will also be entered into the 2015 Caulfield Cup. Because of the Cup's high class field and difficult conditions, it is often used as a guide for the performance of horses entering the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.

Caulfield Cup news intensifies the closer the race gets as hundreds of horses attempt to get a place in the Cup's field. However, there are only 18 horses allowed with four emergencies. It is usually made up of both Australian and foreign horses. Foreign horses have only been allowed to compete since 1998. Since international horses were allowed, only two British horses have won the Cup.

A good number of the international horses traveling to Australia for the Caulfield Cup are also planning to be in the Melbourne in November. The final field for the Caulfield Cup is determined through a balloting system. Every horse nominated gets a number that indicates where they stand in the entry order. The number a horse ends up with is determined by several factors. It can include prize money won, eligible lead-up races and weight carried during eligible races. They can also get automatic entry through winning certain other races like the Herbert Power Stakes or the Listed Mornington Cup.

Because the Caulfield Cup is a handicap, all runners will be allocated a weight based on prize money and recent wins. This helps provide a more fair field and gives less accomplished horses a chance to succeed. The official field for the Cup is released on Tuesday, October 13th. As usual, the Caulfield Cup is one of the more intense races available during the year.

The barrier draw is an important event in the lead up to the race. Even though there has not been proven to be a "golden barrier", or one barrier with an obvious run of success, there are some barriers with a run of bad luck. For example, Barrier 1 has not seen a winning horse in 30 years. The race begins at the top of the home stretch, which allows the field some time to settle in before reaching the first turn. Nevertheless, the draw continues to be relevant. Drawing a wide position leads to the risk of trying to make up ground through the tight turns of the race. On the other hand, an inside position leads to horses being jammed against the rails as they try to find a competitive position.

Nominations to the Caulfield Cup for 2015 will be released on August 4th. The first declarations will then take place on September 8th. The first round of acceptances will whittle down the field considerably. The second round will take place on September 22nd, then the third round will be October 6th.

Odds for Caulfield Cup betting are not released until a few days before the race, but plenty of future odds are available months in advance. Bettors can wager on their favourite horse well before anything is confirmed. This could lead to a large payday or disappointment if the horse doesn't make the final field.