The Everest Tips & Preview 2022
Caulfield Cup Tips & Preview 2022
Looking for Caulfield Cup tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2022 Caulfield Cup at Caulfield.
CAULFIELD CUP BETTING SNAPSHOT
The last start Turnbull Stakes (2000m) winner, Smokin’ Romans holds favouritism with ladbrokes after the barrier draw at the $4.50 quote ahead of Benaud, who has been solid at the $9.50
Nonconformist is at $11 alongside the Godolphin galloper, Alegron. Gold Trip, Knights Order and Numerian are all at $12, while the Australian Cup (2000m) winner, Duais is at $13. Inspirational Girl ($15) and Montefilia ($19) head the rest of the 18-horse field and two emergencies.
CAULFIELD CUP FORM ANALYSIS
Nine of the field come out of the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and it was a slowly run affair at Flemington that day with Smokin’ Romans sitting just off Knights Order before finding a winning gap in the straight.
The winner went just 6.7 lengths faster than standard but worth noting that he was a winner on Heavy going at Caulfield at his start prior, going 11.2 lengths faster than standard.
Of the beaten brigade out of the Turnbull it was Maximal that sat on pace before landing tin the runner-up slot. Knights Order was 4th and could be an improver on Heavy ground.
The Waterhouse/Bott galloper went 18.4 lengths faster than standard at this stage in the autumn when taking out the Sydney Cup on a Heavy 10 at Randwick. Wouldn’t have minded seeing him go a little harder in front last time to make it more of a staying contest.
Gold Trip (5th), Inspirational Girl (7th), Duais (8th), Great House (10th), Chapada (12th) and Crystal Pegasus (14th) also come out of the Turnbull. A number of these could improve with a better tempo, including Inspirational Girl, who had little luck at Flemington.
Best last start benchmark figures belong to Numerian, who was runner-up in the Hill Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on a Heavy track behind Cascadian on October 1. The Anabel Neasham galloper went 12.8 lengths faster than standard that day. Montefilia also come out of that race and was 3rd.
Alegron heads into this third up and is on the up. He knocked over Benaud in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) on September 17, while Knights Order was 3rd. Form out of that race looks solid and has provided the Metropolitan (2400m) winner, No Compromise, who is a live chance here.
Benaud has since gone on and ran 6th in a cracking edition of the Might And Power Stakes (2000m) last weekend. He is on the back up alongside Nonconformist, who was 7th. Benaud went 8.5 lengths faster than standard. Worth noting that Nonconformist was runner-up in a weaker edition of that race last year before finishing runner-up behind Incentivise in the Caulfield Cup.
Vow And Declare and Tralee Rose come out of separate races. Vow And Declare was 5th in the Bart Cummings (2500m) at his most recent run, going 10.4 lengths faster than standard. The 2019 Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner seems to have come back in good order. Tralee Rose was last in the Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) and is first up after a seven week break. Hard to make a case for her but she generally races well on the wet.
CAULFIELD CUP TIPS AND BEST BETS
Not convinced about the Turnbull Stakes form but having said that, Smokin’ Romans was solid over the 2000m on Heavy ground at his start prior at Caulfield and is a deserved favourite. Looking elsewhere, however, I like the Sydney form with Numerian coming down after sticking on well on what was a red-hot tempo in the Hill Stakes. The six-year-old was an improver when 3rd up in the autumn when runner-up behind Polly Grey, going 11.4 lengths faster than standard. I also like Knights Order and the wide barrier for him might not be a huge disadvantage, provided he can find a spot as they swing out of the first turn. Conditions should suit the eight-year-old and I wouldn’t mind seeing him go a bit harder this time around.
