The Caulfield Cup could become a WFA race as early as this year
One of the most iconic handicap races in Australia the ‘Caulfield Cup’ is set to become a WFA race with the change to take affect as early as this year.
“We’d have to get our skates on but it could be as early as this year but more likely 2018 — pending approval,’’ MRC chairman Mike Symons told the Herald Sun.
As well as becoming Weight For Age conditions the prize purse is also likely to be increased from the current amount of $3million to $4million surpassing the Cox Plate and making it the second richest race in Victoria behind the Melbourne Cup.
The change comes as the MRC look to try and attract runners from overseas with the focus being on European and Japanese gallopers.
The Caulfield Cup field size could also be reduced to 12 or 14 runners from its current 18 horse field size with the winner also being exempt from re-handicapping in Melbourne Cup weights.
Australia’s only WFA 2400m race is current The BMW which is run at Rosehill in March which Symonds says fails to attract International runners because it is run at the wrong time of the year.
For the changes to go ahead they will need to be approved by Racing Victoria as well as the local and APC (Asian Pattern Committees), which determine race programming and statuses.
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