Well, I originally thought it was a clear cut case that they should be put into the field, but after listening to an interview on the radio this morning, I'm starting to think that perhaps they mightn't be. Bruce Clark from sport927 brought up something which I wasn't aware of. He said that it's not actually a case of promoting a horse above 6 others, but it's actually a case of demoting 6 horses behind that one. In other words, according to him, they have to believe that all 6 horses DON'T deserve to be there instead of simply thinking that Confectioner or Sir Dex DO. I didn't know about that interpretation.

In any case, both of those horses really should be in the field and regardless of what happens this year, I think they have to do something with the qualification rules for future years.

It appears now that Godolphin will pay up for 3 horses for saturday and run only 2 of them depending on whether it is a dry or wet track. If it is dry Razkalla will run if it is wet Fantastic Love will run, Personally I don't think any of them deserve a start they really are all a mob of plodders who will be flat out getting near them on saturday. Carte Diamond & Eye Popper will also both be paid up for so it doesn't look real good for either Sir Dex or Confectioner.

I have no problem having these european horses here but in Godolphins case that is **** pick 2 friggin horses and go with them don't waste a spot that could have been used for another horse when you have no intention of using it. The field size of 18 plus 3 emergenies makes it very hard for for either Sir Dex or Confectioner to get there we will all know at around 10am tomorrow.

Possible Field
1. Mummify 57kg
2. Razkalla 55kg
3. Fight Your Corner 54.5kg
4. Plastered 54kg
5. Eye Popper 54kg
6. Carte Diamond 53kg
7. Fantastic Love 53kg
8. Stella Grande 52.5kg
9. Railings 52kg
10. Dizelle 51.5kg
11. Hollow Bullet 51.5kg
12. Demerger 51.5kg
13. Portland Singa 51.5kg
14. Vouvray 51.5kg
15. Wild Iris 51.5kg
16. Bazelle 50.5kg
17. El Segundo 49.5kg
18. Leica Falcon 48kg
19. Sir Dex 53kg
20. Confectioner 52.5kg
21. Lachlan River 51.5kg

Looking at this if Godolphin do scratch one runner then Sir Dex gets a start if ofcourse this is the field I do however feel they should be made to make a decision there is to much money involved in this race for someone to be even denied a chance because of a horse who is never going to run. The other thing I have read today said that Carte Diamond maybe one of the horses on the chopping block in order to put Confectioner into the field I personally wouldn't be opposed we are talking about a horse there that has never won at G1 level which just makes me wonder why the hell is it so highly rated from what I have heard it is a glorified hurdler. Eye Popper might be the one that annoys me the most the Japanese horses should never be allowed back into the country hey have been awful, They have no guts whatsoever all they are is pace makers. I have had my say now upto the lap of the gods now.

i'm pretty sure Godolphin will have people saying that the more horses he puts in, the more good horses he knocks out and doesn't have to compete with lol

Been looking into it a bit more and have changed my tune. Whilst i think Confectioner and a couple of other horses 'should' be in the field based on ability etc, they are not qualified. Rules are rules, simple as that as far as i'm concerned and based on the rules they shouldn't be in. From my understanding it is the trainers fault that confectioner isn;t in there because he has been avoiding the handicap races for fear of a penalty. Thats a risky way to get into the field and it hasn;t worked out. Bad luck. That said i thing the rules need to change, i am still pondering in what way.

Gday All

gotta agree with the above... The trainers know the route to the Caulfield Cup and other Blue Riband races for that matter.. The trainers in this case chose to ignore that route... ************ em I say... I said the same thing when they left Free at Last out of the Melbourne Cup last year.. It was totally unfair

As for changing the rules ... Change em to take the discretion out of the picture.. Just make the trainers, if they wish their horses to run in these races, to qualify them properly... Its pretty black and white to me

__________________
Good luck and good punting

xptdriver@hotmail.com

Carte Diamond's last 2 wins have been over the hurdles, never won a group race. Yet its weighted on 53 kg. I know nothing about Eye Popper but the Jap horses have hardly earnt respect here lately.

Irish Darling, Stella Grande & Hollow Bullet have done nothing so far this prep.

Confectioner won the G2 Craiglee first up. He won it, buts just because it's run at Flemington & not at Caulfield he's not exempt from the ballot. Maybe I'm suggesting the winners of the Craiglee & Turnbull Stks should be exempt from the ballot. Perhaps prizemoney earned from Aug 1 should be a consideration.

I just think that the race is looking pretty dodgy if the recent WFA winners are not allowed to compete, but hurdle winners & horses who havent run a place this season are.

From AAP Racing And Sports:

Tuesday, 11 October 2005: A total of 26 horses have been left in Saturday's $2.5 million Caulfield Cup after final acceptances were declared today.

The final field will not be named until later today after the Melbourne Racing Club committee meets to resolve if it discretionary powers will be invoked to determine the final 18 horses plus emergencies.

The MRC is under huge pressure to include the heavily backed Confectioner in the final 18 despite the David Hayes-trained stayer remaining only equal 22nd on the order of entry after the final acceptances were declared.

Gai Waterhouse has also declared the George Main Stakes winner Mr. Celebrity as a final acceptor in the hope that the MRC committee will elevate him into the final field under the discretionary rule from his equal 25th position

The notable absentees among the qualified horses were the import First Charter, Godolphin entry Fantastic Love and Sandown Classic Count Ricardo, who was reported to have a fitness problem after he galloped on Tuesday morning.

Godolphin's other entries Razkalla and Fight Your Corner, Japan's Eye Popper and the UK stayer Carte Diamond make up the overseas contingent.

Carte Diamond is still only equal 17th on the order of entry with four other horses, his place in the final 18 now at the discretion of the MRC.

He is vying for one of the final places in the field with Bazelle, Sir Dex, Natural Blitz and Lachlan River.

Lee Freedman added to the concerns of connections with the borderline horses when he declared Stella Grande, safely in the field at equal ninth, a final acceptor.

Freedman wil also start 2003 Caulfield Cup winner Mummify.

CAULFIELD CUP FINAL ACCEPTORS

* Exempt from Ballot

1 - El Segundo*

2- Leica Falcon*

3- Mummify

4=Dizelle

4=Hollow Bullet

4=Plastered

7 Razkalla

8-Fight Your Corner

9-Demerger

9=Portland Singa

9=Eye Popper

9=Stella Grande

9=Vouvray

9=Wild Iris

15=Irish Darling

15=Railings

17=Bazelle

17=Carte Diamond

17=Lachlan River

17=Natural Blitz

17=Sir Dex

22=Confectioner

22=Kindjhal

24-Show Barry

25=Mr. Celebrity

25=Sarrera

Now that I've thought about it a bit more, I tend to agree with a lot of what TS and XPT said. While I think that Confectioner & Sir Dex definitely deserve to be there on form, their trainers and owners knew what the situation was all along, so I guess that's just the way it goes.

I personally think the answer's pretty obvious. Keep the conditions exactly as they are now, but simply give an exemption to the winners of more feature leadup races during the carnival. And also remove the discretionary powers, so that everything is in black and white and everyone knows exactly where they stand.

Gday Brave

kinda agreed.. about the hurdlers and such ... but... (there's always one or two) the fact remains that the trainers have avoided races which would have qualified their horses... If as you suggest that the Turnbull and Craiglee winners be exempt... fine.. write that into the rules of qualification.. but as it stands , the horses who are not qualified should be left out... Get rid of the discretion rule.. make it fair for everyone...

__________________
Good luck and good punting

xptdriver@hotmail.com

From Racenet:

MRC force to decide the final two runners

The Melbourne Racing Club will later today be forced to decide on the last two horses into the field for Saturday’s $2.5 million Group One Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup to be run on Saturday at Caulfield after final acceptances were taken earlier today.

When final acceptances closed at 10am today, 16 of the top 19 horses in the order of entry have paid up with only Count Ricardo, Perlin and First Charter not amongst them.

This puts the MRC in the position of deciding who takes the final two positions in the field.

Amongst the horses vying for those spots are the five next in line in the order of entry that paid up this morning including Bazelle, Carte Diamond, Lachlan River, Natural Blitz and Sir Dex and to a lesser extent Confectioner who was equal 25th before final acceptances today.

Which way will the club go?

Logically thinking the club will pick two of the horses next in line in the order of entry and those two should be Lachlan River the Group One Queensland Derby winner along with the form horse and the one that’s shortest in Caulfield Cup betting markets, Sir Dex?

But all will be reveiled after 2.00pm today.

One thing is for sure, with so many more overseas raiders heading to our shores to contest our major spring handicaps [3 will contest the Caulfield Cup this year] Racing Victoria and the race clubs need to have a look at how they decide the final fields with the prospect this year of four horses with very strong form leading into the Caulfield Cup missing out on a run.

The horses referred to are, Confectioner (equal 26th prior to final acceptances), Mr Celebrity (equal 40th prior to final acceptances), Show Barry (equal 35th prior to final acceptances) and Sir Dex (equal 20th prior to final acceptances) and to a lesser extent, Activation, Bazelle, Free At Last, Lachlan River and Natural Blitz.

Especially when there are at least three Australian trained horses that have accepted and will run on Saturday, yet they are racing well below their best - Hollow Bullet, Irish Darling and Stella Grande.

I know they are all fully qualified and have every right to run but all the horses mentioned that should be in the race are also fully qualified. It all comes down to the weight allocated by the handicapper.

The question the Melbourne Race Club needs to answer is – does the club really want the best possible field for its flagship race or not?

Because this year the best possible field won’t be lining up.

By: Clinton Payne - Tuesday, 11 October 2005