The 2025 Caulfield Cup is shaping up to be a cracker, with 85 spring stayers remaining in contention following the first acceptance stage on Tuesday.
Last year’s runner-up Buckaroo (pictured winning the 2024 Underwood) is all-in favourite to go one better in the 2025 Caulfield Cup. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Among the remaining hopefuls is the Chris Waller-trained mare Buckaroo, who has firmed into outright favoritism after an eye-catching return to racing.
Waller, a two-time Caulfield Cup winner, has a massive 22 horses remaining in the mix, with his main contender Buckaroo leading the way.
The Fastnet Rock seven-year-old has been a major mover in the futures Caulfield Cup betting markets at Ladbrokes, slashing his price from $11 to $6 after an impressive third-place finish in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes.
Last year’s Caulfield Cup runner-up, he is now a firm favourite to go one better this year.
The other best-fancied from the Waller contingent are the Australian Derby-winning filly Aeliana ($9) and last year’s third-place getter Land Legend ($15).
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who won the Cup in 2010 with Descarado, have a strong hand with a trio of runners.
Their top chance is the imported stayer Vauban ($8), who was a two-time disappointment in the Melbourne Cup but has now settled in Australia and produced an eye-catching second in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes.
Their other chances include the classy mare Alalcance ($26) and the nicely bred Frankel entire Sir Delius ($15), who firmed in betting after running a close second in the Chelmsford.
After originally attracting 12 international nominations, there are just four remaining in the Caulfield Cup.
The international contingent includes French-trained Presage Nocturne ($26), Japanese mare Golden Snap ($26), two-time Melbourne Cup performer Absurde ($34), and the Simon & Ed Crisford-trained Meydaan ($34). They’ll be looking to be the first overseas winner since Mer De Glace in 2019.
Ciaron Maher, who won this race last year with Duke De Sessa, has a strong hand with 16 remaining hopefuls. His top contender is the import Middle Earth ($13), who has shown plenty of promise in his short Australian career.
Second acceptances for the race will close at midday on Tuesday, September 23.
2025 Caulfield Cup First Acceptances
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x5x3132x3x | ABSURDE (FR) | G | 8 | Willie Mullins | |
| 2 | x90x404x88 | ADELAIDE RIVER (IRE) | G | 6 | Kris Lees | |
| 3 | 112x3421x2 | AELIANA (NZ) | M | 4 | Chris Waller | |
| 4 | 122x1110x6 | ALALCANCE (GB) | M | 6 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |
| 5 | 9x00x0590x | ALENQUER (FR) | G | 8 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | |
| 6 | 1x139x0x6x | ANISETTE (GB) | M | 6 | Chris Waller | |
| 7 | 1x55241x36 | ARAPAHO (FR) | G | 9 | Bjorn Baker | |
| 8 | 914x7650x0 | ASTERIX (NZ) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | |
| 9 | 1x782959x0 | ATHABASCAN (FR) | G | 7 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | |
| 10 | 64211372×0 | BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) | G | 8 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | |
| 11 | 40x54248x6 | BERKSHIRE BREEZE (IRE) | G | 7 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 12 | 0x42529x25 | BIRDMAN (IRE) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | |
| 13 | 6x07344x74 | BRAYDEN STAR (GB) | G | 7 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | |
| 14 | 1229x970x3 | BUCKAROO (GB) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | |
| 15 | 231x721x72 | BUR DUBAI (GB) | G | 5 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | |
| 16 | 33x742x821 | CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (IRE) | G | 7 | Kris Lees | |
| 17 | 00x80x48x4 | CLEVELAND (IRE) | G | 8 | Kris Lees | |
| 18 | 75x71211x0 | DEAKIN (FR) | G | 6 | Phillip Stokes | |
| 19 | 14x8024x21 | DESERT LIGHTNING (NZ) | G | 6 | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | |
| 20 | 1x70x4541x | DON DIEGO DE VEGA (FR) | G | 6 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | |
| 21 | x0698222x0 | ETNA ROSSO (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | |
| 22 | 630x06710x | FEMMINILE | M | 4 | Chris Waller | |
| 23 | x5121213x7 | FERNAO (IRE) | G | 7 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | |
| 24 | 3x930810x8 | FIRST IMMORTAL | G | 6 | Mark & Levi Kavanagh | |
| 25 | 11x31417x6 | FLYING BANDIT | G | 5 | Kerry Parker | |
| 26 | x4117x4x80 | FULL COUNT FELICIA (USA) | M | 7 | Chris Waller | |
| 27 | 0145x750x9 | FUTURE HISTORY (GB) | G | 8 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 28 | 5310x112x3 | GILDED WATER (GB) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 29 | x4632334x9 | GO DADDY (IRE) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 30 | 14502346×7 | GOD’S WINDOW (GB) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | |
| 31 | 2248377×32 | GOLDEN CENTURY (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | |
| 32 | 136x665x3x | GOLDEN PATH (NZ) | G | 6 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | |
| 33 | 25x2241x6x | GOLDEN SNAP (JPN) | M | 6 | Katsunori Tanaka | |
| 34 | 4321253×08 | GRAND PIERRO | G | 6 | Jason Warren | |
| 35 | 117×211215 | HALF YOURS | G | 5 | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | |
| 36 | 86202763×0 | INTERPRETATION (IRE) | G | 8 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 37 | 1442×31411 | JENNIVAMOOSE (NZ) | M | 6 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 38 | 91x6x23116 | JUJA KIBO (IRE) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 39 | 42111x70x0 | KADAVAR (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | |
| 40 | 2131210×42 | KINGS VALLEY (IRE) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 41 | 34x90051x6 | KNIGHT’S CHOICE | G | 6 | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | |
| 42 | 60x70331x0 | KOVALICA (NZ) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | |
| 43 | 138x768x39 | LAND LEGEND (FR) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | |
| 44 | x0x00670x0 | LASTOTCHKA (FR) | M | 7 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | |
| 45 | 12111114x | LEICA LUCY (NZ) | M | 4 | Chris Waller | |
| 46 | 101x6310x0 | LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) | G | 7 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 47 | 2332490×01 | LINDERMANN | G | 6 | Chris Waller | |
| 48 | 51x56321x5 | LITZDEEL | M | 4 | Danny O’Brien | |
| 49 | x431231x8x | MARK TWAIN (NZ) | G | 6 | Roger James & Robert Wellwood | |
| 50 | 447x52052x | MEYDAAN (IRE) | H | 5 | Simon & Ed Crisford | |
| 51 | x138x159x5 | MIDDLE EARTH (GB) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 52 | 3x000546x5 | MILITARIZE (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | |
| 53 | x2121x0x42 | MOIRA (CAN) | M | 7 | Chris Waller | |
| 54 | 28x50x12x0 | MORE FELONS (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | |
| 55 | 3400×76213 | MORMONA (FR) | G | 7 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | |
| 56 | x63646x47x | NAVAL COLLEGE (GB) | G | 7 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | |
| 57 | 3230111×78 | NEWLOOK (FR) | G | 5 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | |
| 58 | x80213x0x0 | OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) | H | 8 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 59 | 4x111140x0 | OUR ANCHORAGE (IRE) | G | 7 | Bjorn Baker | |
| 60 | x865839x53 | OUR GOLD HOPE | M | 5 | Robert & Luke Price | |
| 61 | 9632155×47 | PALMETTO (NZ) | G | 7 | John Sargent | |
| 62 | 56x25463x0 | PLYMOUTH | G | 4 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | |
| 63 | 8x4x8x112x | POINT KING (IRE) | G | 7 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | |
| 64 | 8x460x8x8x | POST IMPRESSIONIST (IRE) | G | 7 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | |
| 65 | 371x4x13x3 | PRESAGE NOCTURNE (IRE) | H | 6 | Alessandro Botti | |
| 66 | 12110x322x | QUIETNESS (GB) | M | 6 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | |
| 67 | x211111x71 | REVELARE | G | 5 | Robert Hickmott | |
| 68 | 31342x73x7 | RIVER OF STARS (IRE) | M | 7 | Chris Waller | |
| 69 | 3232x0011x | ROYAL SUPREMACY (IRE) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 70 | 0x0x23113x | SAYEDATY SADATY (IRE) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 71 | 113x28x1x2 | SIR DELIUS (GB) | H | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |
| 72 | x560310x72 | SMOKIN’ ROMANS (NZ) | G | 9 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 73 | 329x07696x | STAR VEGA (IRE) | G | 6 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | |
| 74 | 2x503120x3 | STATUARIO | G | 4 | Emma-Lee & David Browne | |
| 75 | 42242220x | SWELTERING | M | 4 | Chris Waller | |
| 76 | 2316120×7 | THEDOCTOROFLOVE | G | 4 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | |
| 77 | 16584212×8 | TORRANZINO (NZ) | G | 6 | Paul Preusker | |
| 78 | 66059417×4 | TRAV (NZ) | G | 6 | Raymond Connors | |
| 79 | 090x0693x0 | VALIANT KING (GB) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | |
| 80 | 3120x130x3 | VAUBAN (FR) | G | 8 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |
| 81 | x631103x85 | WHISKY ON THE HILL (GB) | G | 6 | Glen Thompson | |
| 82 | 3111014×8 | WILLYDOIT (NZ) | G | 4 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 83 | 1212x75x85 | WOOTTON VERNI (FR) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | |
| 84 | 5078x778x6 | YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) | G | 8 | Danny O’Brien | |
| 85 | 54x83230x5 | ZARDOZI | M | 5 | Ciaron Maher |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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