*This year, they have set the gates towards the outside running rail. Instead of the horses running straight to the first turn as is normal, this year they will all be running in at an angel as the barriers out wide will make it that much harder to get across [not good for barrier 1].
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A priceline after the barrier draw [betchoice]:
Caulfield Cup

1 TAWQEET 17 D Hayes/D Dunn 12.00
2 BLUE MONDAY 11 D Hayes/N Rawiller 8.00
3 BLUTIGEROO 14 C Little/D Oliver 12.00
4 RAILINGS 20 Roger James/G Childs 11.00
5 MAYBE BETTER 8 B. MayfieldSmith/C Brown 11.00
6 BLACK TOM 16 David Hayes/P A Hall 16.00
7 PURPLE MOON 15/ Luca Cumani/K McEvoy 16.00
8 MALDIVIAN (NZ) 1 Mark Kavanagh/M Rodd 17.00
9 CINQUE CENTO 3 P Moody/S Seamer 34.00
10 MANDELA (NZ) 11 R Yuill/D Nickolic 34.00
11 SCENIC SHOT 18 Daniel Morton/S Katsidis 41.00
12 ANNENKOV (IRE) Peter G Moody/L Nolen 41.00
13 ANAMATO 2 David Hayes/R S Dye 51.00
14 DOURO VALLEY Danny O'Brien/J M Winks 41.00
15 SIRMIONE 13 Bart Cummings/S Murphy (a) 51.00
16 ESKIMO QUEEN 5 Michael Moroney/C Newitt 101.00
17 PRINCESS COUP 19 Mark Walker/G Boss 151.00
18 MASTER O'REILLY 6 Danny O'Brien/V Duric 151.00

19E SARRERA 9 Michael Moroney/?? 151.00
20E MOLOTOV 7 David Hayes/D Moor 101.00
-----------------------------------------------------

I can't see Maldivian [same sire but no Might and Power] avoiding the tumble-dryer effect after the start from b1 and has to cope with the step-up distance too.

I like the smokey Mandela and Blutigeroo might grow an extra leg over this distance. What a pity Princess Coup drew b19. A great run to win the NZ "Cox".