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