G1 AU$5,000,000 Turf, 2400M
Group
Prize Money
Distance
The Melbourne Spring’s first of the majors comes up with the running of the G1 Caulfield Cup over 2400m. Being a handicap and with 18 runners, a challenge can be firstly to get into the field with the art of also having a winning weight. Traditionally it was the best of guides to the Melbourne Cup with that Cups double having been achieved 11 times. Winners have arrived at Caulfield from many global races to get the ultimate success. And many of them have done a great job having to carry large weights. DUNADEN (128lbs), ADMIRE RAKTI (128lbs), BEST SOLUTION (127lbs) were good enough to be strongest late. It was a different manner in 2022 with DURSTON gaining a start on the morning of the race and flying the last bit under 113lbs.
The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained WITHOUT A FIGHT has shown plenty of his namesake to win the 2023 Caulfield Cup. WITHOUT A FIGHT knuckled down strongly to edge out Japanese hopeful and race favourite WEST WIND BLOWS (0.2L), with GOLD TRIP back in third (2.2L).
Caulfield Cup Day (21 Oct 2023)
Caulfield Cup Results
It proved the right decision for winning rider Mark Zahra, who was placed in a tough (but envious) predicament of choosing between sitting aboard WITHOUT A FIGHT or GOLD TRIP – who he piloted to success in the 2022 Melbourne Cup, and more recently a breathtaking Turnbull Stakes win a fortnight ago.
The G1 victory will certainly be one to savour for the father-and-son training duo and connections, following their runner having to pass a veterinary examination 24-hour out from the race, with Racing Victoria vets having deemed the son of TEOFILO to be showing signs of lameness.
In what was a great training performance from the Freedman’s to win the illustrious 2400m contest second-up from a spell, a run in the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November sits prominently on the agenda.
