By Owens Wong
Dunaden had won the Caulfield Cup carrying the biggest weight since Northerly (also on 58kg) in 2002 and coming from the widest barrier. Jockey Craig Williams eased the horse to the back of the field and settled 3rd last. Rounding the home turn, Alcopop was making his run and hit the front at 250m. But Dunaden showed his superior staying ability to come from behind Alcopop and beat him to the line by half a length.
Dunaden is liable for a Melbourne Cup penalty and all eyes will be on RV’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter who would announce a penalty, if any, tomorrow.
Dunaden is striving to become the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup – Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup triple. The horse who went closest to win the triple was the mighty Rising Fast. The Kiwi galloper won the Caulfield Cup and finished 2nd in the Melbourne in 1955 after he won the Melbourne Cup the previous year.
In 2008, the Bart Cummings trained Viewed won the Melbourne Cup and he followed up with victory in the 2009 Caulfield Cup. But he could only finished 7th in the Melbourne Cup later that spring.
