Australia: Caulfield Cup headed by Glencadam Gold

Americain and Dunaden, two past winners of the Melbourne Cup, are part of the field for Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup in Caulfield, Australia, but are considered outsiders in an 18-horse field led by the English import Glencadam Gold.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse, Glencadam Gold won his Australian debut in the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap over 1 1/2 miles on Oct. 6. In his last start in England, Glencadam Gold, a 4-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Refuse to Bend, won the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup in September.

Glencadam Gold was not helped by the post position draw for the Caulfield Cup, landing post 17. As a result, he drifted from 5-2 to 3-1 in future-book betting.

The Caufield Cup has drawn a strong field befitting its purse of approximately $2.5 million. The 5-year-old mare Southern Speed is the defending champion, but has only 1 win in 9 starts this year.

Americain won the 2010 Melbourne Cup, but was fourth in last year’s race to Dunaden.

Americain, a 7-year-old trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, was sixth in the Group 2 Prix Kergolay at Deauville, France, in his last start in August.

Dunaden, a 6-year-old trained by Mikel Delzangles, has not raced since finishing sixth in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July.

The race has an ex-American runner in Sanagas, who won the Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup for Graham Motion in 2011. Sanagas was sent to Australia earlier this year, but is winless in three starts there since the first of September.