The Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup dream that almost became a nightmare for Without A Fight and Sam Freedman
A week after the Caulfield Cup his blood profile was still not great. Many of the horses would have been sent away for a spell or rescheduled for a race later in the spring. But Connor wasn’t just any horse, so we weren’t willing to accept that fate.
Managing this type of situation requires careful thought.
Mark Zahra (left) and Without A Fight, The West Wind Blows (right) at the 2023 Caulfield Cup.Credit: Getty Images
As a trainer, you don’t want to alarm the owner, you don’t want to worry the jockey, and you don’t need outside noise to further complicate your thinking. So we kept his condition and progress within the confines of a tight circle – me, my dad Anthony, and our vet.
Fortunately, while we waited for Connor to recover, his conditioning continued.
Loading
Since he had been racing throughout the winter, we didn’t need to put the work on him. Without this base he would not have qualified for the Caulfield Cup. If it wasn’t for the Caulfield Cup I don’t think there’s any way he would have won the Melbourne Cup. Now I shake my head, thinking about how close we came to missing that dream.
On the day of the Caulfield Cup we knew Connor was recovering.
He was impressive in his last gallop, but we didn’t know how he would handle the pressure due to factors such as heat and crowds.
I stood under the stewards’ tower, knowing we did the best we could. It was up to Mark Zahra and the horse.
Ultimately, the real test for Connor would come in the 800 meters; this often happens when pressure is applied in the Caulfield Cup.
We were going to find out if we had a chance to win or if the lights would go out. He refused to surrender.
Wins the Caulfield Cup without a fight.Credit: racing.com
As the field headed straight for home, my confidence began to grow. The horse was reacting to Zehra’s riding. He hated losing. Even at home, if you galloped with him, he always wanted to win.
Some horses have an immeasurable quality, the mental ability to want to win. As he approached West Wind Blows I knew he would struggle to get his nose forward.
As they sped by, he was driving very fast and I thought he was gaining momentum. But you never know. Call me glass half empty, but I’m never ready to claim the race until the photo is in the frame.
When his number finally appeared, I calmed down a bit. I needed some time to understand everything. Considering how close we came to not even lining up in the race, this is the kind of moment you’ll cherish forever.
Freedman and Zahra hold the Caulfield Cup aloft after Without A Fight’s win.Credit: Race Photos
We don’t have a runner in this year’s Caulfield Cup but in my opinion there are two horses that stand out in the group; favorite Half Yours and UK import Meydaan.
Half Yours is very short on the market but comes off the Turnbull Stakes, which is always a good lead race, and his weight drops significantly.
By comparison, Meydaan’s form in England has been very good. In the last Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe he lost by 2¼ lengths to Giavellotto, a serious horse who ran fourth.
Meydaan’s only problem is that he hasn’t won for a while. He won his first and fourth races but failed to win again in the next nine races. That’s why I’m leaning towards Half Yours on Saturday because I think it’s a little bolder. If I were to choose a bully, I’d choose Birdman.
No matter who wins, they will experience the same unforgettable moment; hopefully without the nail-biting stress.
News, results and expert analysis from the sports weekend are delivered every Monday. Sign up for our sports newsletter.
