There are many races held during the Spring Carnival in Melbourne, Australia, and every year there is a lot of conjecture as to who will win the Caulfield Cup as this can be a potential pathway to the esteemed Melbourne Cup.
First and foremost, is the success the horse has had in previous races leading up to this event that shows its potential and time has shown that a Caulfield Cup win is a somewhat consistent projector of great things to come.
The inherent success of a horse at the races inevitably relies on two things; the trainer and the jockey. A well-paired horse and jockey team is most likely to produce a successful partnership. The Caulfield Cup favorites based on these and other aspects for 2021 are as follows.
Incentivize
The overwhelming early favorite for the Caulfield Cup, this bay gelding from Australia has been trained by Peter Moody and is definitely one of the horses to watch for at the Caulfield Cup among other races.
There has been no other horse since Makybe Diva that has been a surefire win. Owners Ozzie Kheir and Brae Sokolski sure know their thing when it comes to backing a champion and Incentivise is definitely going to be among them.
Sired by Shamus Award from Dam Miss Argyle, this pedigree certainly has a potential behind it that has won at Group 1 levels and with champion jockey Brett Pebble taking the reigns there is a great chance that this horse will come across first.
If there is an incentive to invest in Incentivise in Caulfield racing for 2021, it is the fact that Pebble ran Incentivise in the recent Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington, where he won against the seemingly unbeatable contender Mo’unga from New Zealand.
Spanish Mission
This five-year-old male bay stallion who hails from the USA has had a lot of success since 2018, and his form speaks for itself. In the first race he ran, he came in a notable third followed by taking first place in his second race just over two weeks later at the Chelmsford City Racecourse in the UK.
He has been successful in many subsequent races since then including winning first at Newmarket in the UK and Belmont in the US in 2019, not to mention two number ones in the UK in 2020 and another number one finisher in York this past May. Spanish Mission is definitely one to look out for this year.
Notable Inclusions
Colette, who is a five-year-old mare trained by James Cummings, the grandson of legendary trainer Bart Cummings, was sired by Hallowed Queen and is based in Flemington, Melbourne. There have been decades of training regimes behind every single horse that has been foaled since the 1950s. With over $5million career earnings so far, Colette is a horse that cannot be overlooked.
Edward Cummings is the trainer of five-year-old bay mare Duais and she is a Group 1 winner having won the Australian Oaks with Glen Boss at the saddle. This was the mare’s first race and there will likely be plenty more to come. With the competition heating up and the favorites making their way up and down the odds boards in the lead-up to the race, the horse that will be this year’s big winner is anyone’s guess.Â
Celebrate the 2021 Caulfield Cup from home
With the current restrictions in place for public gatherings in Melbourne, attendance will be limited for this year’s event. For those near and far who want to tune into the race, the Melbourne Racing Club will be putting on a series of events under the ‘Caulfield Cup from Home’ banner.
Members of the Melbourne Racing Club will have exclusive access to 3 events including the Saddlecloths competition, the Tipstar competition, Fashion Tips by Renee Enright and the Millinery for Members Giveaway.Â
For non-members who are based in Melbourne, this event offers Carnival Super Boxes where a unique menu will be delivered to your home to enjoy any of the races of the Caulfield Cup Carnival.
For the wider audience, the Melbourne Racing Club will be offering a Race Day LIVE Blog which will include up-to-the-minute information and plenty of behind-the-scenes action throughout Caulfield Cup Day as well as the other races during the carnival.Â
Other ways that you can enjoy the Carnival from home include the Neds Caulfield 360 degree camera which will be live throughout all the main races of the Caulfield Cup Carnival, Josh Pelham presents Race Day Favourites to keep you up to speed on all the right gourmet meals to serve at home on Caulfield Cup Day, and the Keeping Track Carnival Guide which will be available on the MRC website.
Getting to the Caulfield Cup
For those who will be attending the Caulfield Cup in 2021, there are several ways you can reach Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. Utilizing public transport is the best way to reach the Racecourse as you will avoid potentially expensive parking fees.
The eastern tram network runs services to the Caulfield area from the CBD and inner eastern suburbs along either Glenhuntly Road or Kooyong Road. For those looking to make their way by train to Caulfield, the Sandringham and Frankston train lines both pass through Caulfield Station.
Trains can be caught at the central Flinders Street Station in Melbourne’s CBD and for those looking to make their way in from the suburbs, the stops on these lines pass through numerous local suburbs.  Â
Saddle up for the 2021 Caulfield Cup
No matter how you choose to celebrate this year’s esteemed Caulfield Cup, the race promises all the usual thrills of the competition, albeit in a slightly different way than usual.
The 2021 Carlton Draft Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Racing Club have worked hard to ensure that the event can be celebrated together all around the world so you will not miss a moment of action from wherever you are.
