Alcopop, Moudre last into Cup field - ABC Online

Updated October 16, 2012 17:02:54

Veteran gallopers Alcopop and Moudre have gained the final two spots in the field for Saturday's Caulfield Cup (2,400m).

There were 23 horses remaining when final acceptances were taken this morning, and Alcopop, Moudre and Sabrage were equal 17th in the order of entry for the 18-horse final field.

1. 6x6x - AMERICAIN


2. 326x - DUNADEN


3. x51x - JAKKALBERRY


4. 3x99 - WINCHESTER


5. x833 - DECEMBER DRAW


6. x624 - VOILA ICI


7. 1140 - SOUTHERN SPEED


8. x006 - SANAGAS


9. 1111 - GLENCADAM GOLD


10. 4011 - MY QUEST FOR PEACE


11. x008 - NIWOT


12. x093 - LIGHTS OF HEAVEN


13. 2235 - SECRET ADMIRER


14. x857 - SNEAK A PEEK


15. 8972 - ALCOPOP


16. 9x30 - MOUDRE


17. x001 - FOLDING GEAR


18. x970 - ZABEELIONAIRE


19. 0655 - SABRAGE (1ST EM)


20. 1327 - GATEWOOD (2ND EM)


21. 42x7 - IBICENCO (3RD EM)


22. x920 - FICTIONAL ACCOUNT (4TH EM)

The Melbourne Racing Club later met and decided to relegate Sabrage to first emergency for the $2.5 million feature.

English-trained runners Gatewood and Ibicenco are second and third emergencies respectively, while the David Hayes-trained Fictional Account is fourth emergency.

The MRC's decision will likely disappoint trainer Mike Moroney, who had pleaded with the club to go with youth and hand Sabrage a start at the expense of either the seven-year-old Moudre or eight-year-old Alcopop.

Alcopop started favourite in the 2009 Melbourne Cup after part-time South Australian trainer Jake Stephens and unheralded jockey Dom Tourneur strung four wins together to get their horse to Flemington.

The gelding ran a creditable sixth behind Shocking but has only won one race since.

He did, however, produce an impressive effort to finish three-quarters of a length behind Cox Plate contender Ocean Park when second in the Caulfield Stakes last Saturday.

Sabrage finished fifth in the same race, beaten five lengths.

Moudre, meanwhile, was an early Cups fancy in 2010 but could not make the field and went on to win the Queen's Cup at the end of the Flemington carnival.

Since then, injury has restricted Moudre to only a handful of starts; the most recent being a disappointing last of 16 in the Turnbull Stakes on October 6.

The 2012 Caulfield Cup field is one of the strongest in the Cup's history, with 13 Group One winners among the 22 runners, including emergencies.

Among them are two Melbourne Cup winners in Americain and Dunaden, last year's Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed, and the winners of the Sydney Cup (Niwot) and Brisbane Cup (Lights Of Heaven).

The 2010 Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday had accepted for the Cup but did not make the field.

The barrier draw will be held on Wednesday morning.

Topics: sport, horse-racing, melbourne-3000, vic

First posted October 16, 2012 16:14:55