Lucia Valentina is currently available at $26 in 2015 Caulfield Cup betting markets, but trainer Kris Lees is happy with the talented mare ahead of the Group 1 event at Caulfield on Saturday.
Lucia Valentina is set to contest the Caulfield Cup for the second year in a row after finishing third behind Admire Rakti and Rising Romance in the race last year. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Lucia Valentina finished a gallant third behind Admire Rakti as favourite in the 2014 Caulfield Cup and she is yet to record a race win since, but she has still produced a number of credible performances at the highest level of racing.
The Savabeel mare was sent to the spelling paddock after she finished sixth behind Criterion in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 11 and she started her 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with promising runs in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 5 and the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at the same venue on September 19, but she was slightly disappointing in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 3.
Lees admits that Lucia Valentina raced a touch flat in the Epsom Handicap, but he was impressed with the way she worked in track work this morning and he believes that the five-year-old gets in very well at the weights in the 2015 Caulfield Cup.
“We were very pleased with her work,” Lees said.
“She worked with Set Square this morning over 1400 metres and it was a good solid gallop.
“Her recovery from really good and she appears in good enough order to take her place.
“It is going to be run under a true handicap scale and she drops back to 53, so it is the first time that she has dropped to that weight since last year’s Caulfield Cup.
“It is a good option for her.
“We feel that she is in a similar vain to last year, albeit her lead-up run in the Epsom wasn’t as good as her Turnbull Stakes run, but her work would suggest that she is in similar order.”
Lucia Valentina has remained steady at 2015 Caulfield Cup odds of $26 since the final field was released this morning, while Mongolian Khan ($4.80) is still a clear favourite from Hauraki ($8.50), Fame Game ($8.50), Set Square ($9), Hokko Brave ($11), Rising Romance ($13), Our Ivanhowe ($15), Snow Sky ($17), Gust Of Wind ($17) and Who Shot Thebarman ($19).
You can score the best Caulfield Cup odds on Lucia Valentina and every other runner in the Caulfield Cup with Ladbrokes, who are offering Best Tote or Starting Price +20% in every race at Caulfield on Saturday.
