No wonder Vigor is the new Caulfield Cup favorite...Trainer Danny O'Brien has slipped him under the guard of the handicapper. Vigor is handicapped on a low 51kgs and he's now booked a ballot-free run into next month's $2.5 million race. His terrific Makybe Diva Stakes win at Flemington sealed it. The 5YO is the first horse to claim a certain place in the Caulfield Cup. O'Brien is over the moon. He says: 'He's potentially the best horse I've trained...We've kept him from the handicapper which mea

No wonder Vigor is the new Caulfield Cup favorite...Trainer Danny O'Brien has slipped him under the guard of the handicapper. Vigor is handicapped on a low 51kgs and he's now booked a ballot-free run into next month's $2.5 million race. His terrific Makybe Diva Stakes win at Flemington sealed it. The 5YO is the first horse to claim a certain place in the Caulfield Cup. O'Brien is over the moon. He says: 'He's potentially the best horse I've trained...We've kept him from the handicapper which meant we had to roll the dice and win one of these ballot-free races to claim a spot in the Caulfield Cup, and now we've done it the pressure is right off...We'll run him in weight-for-age races so the handicapper doesn't get a chance to get at him.''

Lee Freedman's a happy man, too, after the exciting win of his import Speed Gifted at Flemington. But Speed Gifted, who arrived earlier this year from England, still needs to secure a Caulfield Cup spot. Freedman may have to take him to Sydney to run in the Grp 1 Metropolitan Handicap (October 3).

Peter Moody is hoping to press on to the Cox Plate with Typhoon Tracy, btn a nose by Vigor in the Makybe Diva. TT will run next in the Grp 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield in a fortnight. PM says: 'If the 1800 metres looks like it's too much for her, we'll drop back for the mares' mile race, the Myer Stakes, and if not, we'll press on to the Cox Plate.'

Glyn Schofield is keen to retain the ride on So You Think. The Bart Cummings trained 3YO is bound for Newcastle to contest the Spring Stakes. GS says: ''He's a horse that has great scope... very relaxed and certainly up to the better class three-year-olds.'' SYT went down by the skinniest of noses in Sat's Ming Dynasty. The winner More Than Great may be switched to NZ to run in the NZ 2000 Guineas, a race worth $1m.