Caulfield Cup expected market favourite Cosmic Crusader must overcome a wide barrier and prove he can handle 2400 metres for the first time if the gelding is to have success in Saturday’s (17 October) Group 1 feature at Caulfield.

Trained by former jumps jockey Andrea Leek, the six-year-old drew barrier 17 in the 18-horse field but will jump from gate 14 if the four reserves don’t gain a start.

Prominent West Australian owner and breeder Bob Peters is confident his star galloper will relish the step-up in distance after having no trouble tackling his first assignment beyond 1800 metres when he won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) on a heavy Flemington track on his last start on 3 October.

Cosmic Crusader’s sire, the Japanese-bred Maurice, was a six-time Group 1 winner and won the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m) in Japan and the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), both in 2016.

The gelding’s dam Cosmic Storm is a Listed 2000m winner in Peters’ hometown of Perth.

“I’d say he will get the trip,” Peters said. “He still had plenty of running after the line in the Turnbull, and that showed us that hopefully he can do it.”

Perth-based William Pike will partner Cosmic Crusader in the AU$6.545 million (approx. HK$35.8 million) feature.

The field of this year’s Caulfield Cup, which has been run since 1879, contains plenty of chances, including last year’s Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours, who is trained by father-and-son partners Tony and Calvin McEvoy, who are confident the six-year-old gelding will appreciate the rise to 2400 metres after being unplaced since his G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) victory.

“He’s perfect, he’s in really good order,” Tony McEvoy said. “There is obviously a little bit of rain around early in the week, which would be good.”

In a twist, Jamie Melham, who rode Half Yours to the historic Caulfield/Melbourne Cup double, has been replaced by Mark Zahra, as she opted to travel to Sydney to ride Blue Door in the G1 The Everest (1200m).

Damian Lane, who won the Caulfield Cup in 2019 on Mer De Glace, has taken the ride on another international raider, the highly rated Wine Dark Sea (barrier 19), who is trained by Englishman Harry Charlton.

“Cosmic Crusader (going there) was not very welcome news; I would prefer him not going there on Saturday,” Lane said. “If he runs 2400m, he’s going to be very hard to beat. But I did think the race lacked a little depth this year and it would be a good chance for someone like a Wine Dark Sea.”

Lane said well-fancied Zahrann and Saint George – two of Ciaron Maher’s five confirmed runners – look like progressive types. Maher also has three of the four reserves.

Other internationals in the field are English trainer Roger Varian’s Enfjaar and Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien’s Starford.

Irish jockey Ray Dawson has the ride on Enfjaar and questioned whether the gelding will adapt to the Caulfield track, which can be tricky for horses having their first race on the circuit.

“I’ve watched a lot of replays of the Caulfield Cup, and they seem to go quite quick early. They seem to maintain a fast gallop, whereas in England it can vary; they can go quick for a furlong, and then they can stack everything up in front,” Dawson said.

“He’s going into the race in great condition, and I wouldn’t swap him for anything.”

Dawson said Enfjaar produced a career-best performance at Goodwood on his last start with a Group 3 victory over 2398 metres.

Chris Waller has three runners in the feature – Asterix, Soul Of Spain and Ohope Wins, who won two Oaks races this year over 2400m.

“The 2400-metre distance is fantastic for her as she’s won an Oaks in New Zealand and Australia and she’s building towards her peak,” Waller said.

The 2024 Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice drew barrier 22 in one of the most open Caulfield Cups for years.

The G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) is carded as S2-1 and will be run at 2.15pm (Hong Kong time) on Saturday, 17 October.

Photo: Racing Photo