Best Bets – Saturday 18th October

HALF YOURS does appear to be the one they will have to beat at the weights this year’s edition of the Caulfield Cup. He has come a long way since winning the Caloundra Cup back in July but he has certainly found form at the right time. He won impressively in the Group 3 Naturalism this track and then went to Flemington and ran a slashing 4th, coming from near the tail of the field at the corner, to finish a little over 2 lengths behind Sir Delius in the Turnbull Stakes at weight-for-age. That form usually holds up well for the Cups and he will take plenty of holding off over last 200m. 

APOCALYPTIC certainly has shown she is the three-year-old filly to beat in the Thousand Guineas after her recent efforts in Sydney. She was simply brilliant winning first-up and then followed that up with two more wins at Randwick in the Group 2 Tea Rose and then the Group 1 Flight Stakes. She does appear to be the strongest NSW filly and even though the states haven’t all clashed as yet and we are waiting to see if she does handle the Caulfield track, bearing that in mind, her form suggests she has a mortgage on the race this year.

BOSSED UP was very strong to the line last start at his second run from a spell. He should be ready to peak third-up from spell and from the soft draw he looms as a major factor in this race. Likely to take the sit in behind and will just need some Ryan Maloney magic in the run from the corner. He should offer some nice each-way odds in what looks an even race.

EPIC PROPORTIONS worked home well in a similar race at Doomben last start and the step up to 1200m looks a perfect fit for him. Ryan Maloney takes over the reins from Rory Hutchings and look for him to try and get a cart into the race and running over them at the business end.

ESSENTRIC NATURE has looked like a nice horse on the rise in his recent couple of wins at Belmont. Drawn off the track here and has a big weight but his class will take him a long way. Likely go back and we should see William Pike timing that run perfectly and run over them late and he can win the last.