Fame Game preps for Melbourne Cup in Caulfield Cup

The Japan-based Fame Game, the future-book favorite for the Grade 1 Melbourne Cup in Australia on Nov. 3, will have his first start since May in Saturday’s $2.17 million Caulfield Cup at about 1 1/2 miles on turf at Caulfield Racecourse in Australia.

The Group 1 Caulfield Cup, run as a handicap, drew a field of 24 but will have a safety limit of 20 starters. The race annually has a prominent role in the buildup to the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s most popular race.

Protectionist, the winner of the 2014 Melbourne Cup, is part of the Caulfield Cup field but is considered a longshot. He was eighth and 13th in Group 1 races in September and October.

Fame Game, trained by Yoshitada Munakata, was second in the Grade 1 Tenno Sho Sakes in Japan on May 3. Fame Game has won 5 of 16 starts and will have his first start in Australia in the Caulfield Cup.

The favorite is expected to be Mongolian Khan, a 4-year-old rated as a Melbourne Cup contender. A winner of 7 of 12 starts for trainer Murray Baker, Mongolian Khan was third in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf Oct. 10 and won the Group 1 Australian Derby in April.

Hauraki and Volkstok’n’barrell, second and third in the Australian Derby, are part of the Caulfield Cup field.