Caulfield Cup favourite Fawkner Park has been given his first look at the track where the Group 1 race is set to be held.
The Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained galloper had his first look at Caulfield on Tuesday as part of his build up to the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19.
Fawkner Park heads the market at $11 with betting apps ahead of Derby winning recently turned four-year-olds Riff Rocket and Warmonger, both at $13 with bookies.
Neasham, who was at Caulfield on Tuesday to watch Fawkner Park go through his paces, said the gelding arrived in Melbourne late last week and will get plenty of opportunities of galloping at Caulfield in preparation for one of Australia’s toughest handicap contests.
Fawkner Park has raced only once left-handed since making his Australian debut in May last year, finishing fourth in the Australian Cup Prelude at Flemington in March.
Following that outing, Fawkner Park went on a winning spree, claiming the Albury Cup, the Wagga Cup before running third in the Group 1 Doomben Cup.
Fawkner Park leapt to the top of markets for the Caulfield Cup after claiming the ‘win-and-you’re-in’ Group 2 Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm in June.
The Q22 was won last year by Without A Fight who went on to claim the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double.
Neasham said the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 21 was likely to be Fawkner Park’s Spring starting point.
“He’s just got to get used to going left-handed and we thought it was a good opportunity to bring him here and have a look around,” Neasham said.
“He’s only had one trial, so he’s got another trial to go before we see him at the races and the more I give him a look around here, the better.
“He might come back for a jump-out next week. The jump-outs are only over 800 metres, which is a bit annoying, so we’ll have to run through right through the line.
“He won’t be wound-up first-up, it’s all about the Caulfield Cup for him to be peaking and the Underwood will be a nice starting point for him.”
