A bumper field of stayers have been accepted to face off in Queensland’s marquee race this weekend with 18 confirmed starters plus two emergencies engaged for the 2013 Caloundra Cup.
Voila Ici is the top-weight for the 2013 Caloundra Cup this weekend. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
Set to light up the Sunshine Coast track as Race 8 at 3:40pm (AEST) on Saturday, this year’s $200,000 Listed Yalumba Caloundra Cup (2400m) is bursting with end-of-season stars.
The top-rated and weighted hopeful is Peter Moody’s European import Voila Ici with 59.5kg and a wide barrier 15 draw to overcome.
A rising nine-year-old, Voila Ici is yet to win a race down under for Moody but came close two back when third to Quintessential in the Group 2 Eagle Farm Cup (2200m).
They were also far from disgraced last start on June 15 when jumping from barrier 16 of 16 to finishing two and a half lengths away fifth to Anagold in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) with 60kg on their back.
Upset Ipswich Cup winner Anagold meanwhile is also accepted to back up in the Caloundra Cup on the weekend, the Bryan Guy-trained Anabaa mare drawn nicely in barrier seven with Tony Pattillo retaining the ride.
Despite their black type win last time out Anagold is still only on the 54kg minimum for Saturday giving them a nice weight advantage again.
The horses that finished two-three behind the Gold Coast-based winner in the Ipswich Cup are also out for revenge on Saturday with High Kin (2nd) and Za Magic (3rd) both featuring in the Caloundra Cup field.
Kiwi visitor High Kin has suffered an early blow with barrier 18 however as the nicely-bred High Chaparral mare shoots for her first win since the Taumarunini Gold Cup back home in NZ last July.
She overcome barrier 14 of 16 at Ipswich however to come within a long neck of victory and will appreciate the roomier track at Caloundra.
Za Magic fared much better in the Caloundra Cup barrier draw coming up trumps with gate four, the Brian Smith-trained Magic Albert seven-year-old to be ridden again by Ryan Wiggins.
The Eagle Farm-based Smith is also represented on Saturday by two other runners in Rothera (barrier 17) and Raeburn (barrier 12).
Tobougg gelding Rothera is the second heaviest-weighted in the race with 57kg, the same weight they had on their back last Saturday in Brisbane when a brave third behind Rialya and Shenzhou Steeds in the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2200m).
Another runner on the short seven day back-up following a Tatt’s Cup run then is runner-up Shenzhou Steeds, Michael Moroney’s reigning Caloundra Cup winner back to defend their title.
Other notable hopes in the Caloundra Cup mix this year then include former SA Derby winner Zabeelionaire on the rails in gate one, the in-form New Zealand mare Zennista jumping from gate two with Damian Browne to ride as she backs up from some nice Brisbane form including her last start third to Moriarty in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) at the start of the month, and last start winner at the track Endor.
Drawn wide with gate 19, the Graeme & Debbie Rogerson-trained Endor has won three of their past four runs, the now Sydney-based Duelled gelding’s only failure being a dead last in the Group 3 Premier’s Cup (2200m) when outclassed in their Australian debut.
Check out the full 2013 Caloundra Cup field, barriers, jockeys and weights in the table below.
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2013 Caloundra Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw
Sunshine Coast Race 8 – 3:40pm (AEST) – 29/06/2013
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2400×00735 | VOILA ICI (IRE) | Peter G Moody | Glen Colless | 15 | 59.5kg | 105 |
| 2 | 54341×8253 | ROTHERA | Brian Smith | Joe Bowditch | 17 | 57kg | 100 |
| 3 | 70650×7306 | ZABEELIONAIRE (NZ) | Leon Corstens | – | 1 | 57kg | 100 |
| 4 | 7217×27433 | ZENNISTA (NZ) | Lisa Latta | Damian Browne | 2 | 55kg | 100 |
| 5 | 630×407502 | SHENZHOU STEEDS (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Eddie Wilkinson | 8 | 54.5kg | 95 |
| 6 | 1132×70881 | ANAGOLD | Bryan Guy | Anthony Pattillo | 7 | 54kg | 93 |
| 7 | 16×4872406 | VERDANT (GB) | Robert Smerdon | Larry Cassidy | 16 | 54kg | 91 |
| 8 | 11x060x922 | HIGH KIN (NZ) | David Greene | Michael Cahill | 18 | 54kg | 90 |
| 9 | 5093275393 | KAYPERS | Greg Bennett | Paul Hammersley | 3 | 54kg | 89 |
| 10 | 415×800990 | SAINT ENCOSTA | John P Thompson | Timothy Bell | 11 | 54kg | 88 |
| 11 | 32846×6857 | RAEBURN | Brian Smith | – | 12 | 54kg | 86 |
| 12 | 7×65679523 | ZA MAGIC | Brian Smith | Ryan Wiggins | 4 | 54kg | 86 |
| 13 | 0x73251101 | ENDOR (NZ) | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | – | 19 | 54kg | 85 |
| 14 | 6356×50287 | MUIRFIELD (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Ric McMahon | 10 | 54kg | 85 |
| 15 | 2741125640 | SECRET GARDEN | Paul Nolan (Jnr) | Grant Cooksley | 5 | 54kg | 83 |
| 16 | 1381125506 | DAZZLE US | Bruce W Hill | – | 20 | 54kg | 80 |
| 17 | 44×0106302 | I GOTTA FEELING (NZ) | John Wheeler | – | 9 | 54kg | 78 |
| 18 | 75×0213267 | MARKOUT | Pat Richardson | Kelvin Wharton | 13 | 54kg | 77 |
| 19e | 40×0302746 | BUFFETT (NZ) | Bruce W Hill | – | 14 | 54kg | 73 |
| 20e | 21370×3818 | EXCELLENT AL | Len Treloar | – | 6 | 54kg | 70 |
