The one time second favourite for the 2011 Group 1 $2.5 Caulfield Cup (2400m) has been under  a cloud all week .

It was originally thought he had a hoof abscess and later a cracked heel.

After Wednesday’s barrier draw where the Anthony Freedman trained galloper was allotted three, Luxbet bookmakers shortened the former German galloper in from $7.50 to $7 for the 2011 Caulfield Cup run tomorrow.

He was clear cut second favourite behind December Draw but later that day the Freedman yard informed the Racing Victoria stewards of a problem and his Caulfield Cup hopes went into a spin.

Though passed fit to run, Lucas Cranach will undergo a race day inspection before racing in the 2011 Caulfield Cup (2400m) tomorrow.

The shift away from Lucas Cranach has seen the odds of rivals in 2011 Caulfield Cup tumble at Luxbet.

Mighty High has been backed from $13 to $9.50 to become the 2011 Caulfield Cup winner with luxbet with three separate bets hitting the spot.

A bet of $3000 at $13, $2200 at $12 and $1400 at $11.

The 2011 Caulfield Cup betting moves haven’t stopped there.

UK galloper Manighar has tumbled in from $26 to $11 with one bet of $1000 at $26 and another of$1500 at $21 being placed.

One punter will win $100,000 if Niwot a 2011 Caulfield Cup betting bolter becomes the winner .

A $1000 bet at $101 and another of  $600 at $61 has seen his odds tumble into $51.

Niwot is part owned by Andrew Ramsden who won the 1982 Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double  with Gurners Lane among other good victories and horses he has owned.

The Lloyd Williams owned Green Moon has been backed in from $13 to $11 with two $2000 bets at $3 and $12 being placed on the five year old galloper.

Southern Speed $21-$14 ( $1600 @ $21, $1000 @ $18, $1200 @ $16)

A four-year-old mare, Southern Speed has also had good support for the 2011 Caulfield Cup from $21 to $14 with Luxbet since the barrier draw was released.

Bets of $1600, $1000 and $1200 say the South Australian mare with the light weight can become the next winner of the 2011 Caulfield Cup of 2011.

The 2011 Caulfield Cup favourite December Draw has drifted marginally in the betting from $2.25 to $2.50 but firmly holds it position in the market.

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It seems a good barrier draw was already factored in for 2011 Caulfield Cup favourite December Draw who remained unchanged in betting at $2.30 with Luxbet.

The Mark Kavanagh  trained galloper drew in the middle of the field in barrier 11 but will jump from barrier nine if the four emergencies miss a start.

I can’t fault him, he has improved at each run and has improved leaps and bounds since winning the Turnbull Stakes,” Kavanagh said.

“He showed in the Turnbull he can respond to a in a scrap and I believe he will run 2400m.”

The main movers in the Caulfield Cup market for 2011 were Lucas Cranach and Southern Speed.

Both gallopers drew ideally in the Caulfield Cup with Lucas Cranach in three and Southern Speed along side in barrier four.

Lucas Cranach, the German import trained by Anthony and Lee Freedman, moved marginally shorter from $7.50 to $7 with Luxbet but has been treated for a foot abscess. He will be checked by Racing Victoria stewards on Friday

Southern Speed tumbled into $16 from $21.

While the Gai Waterhouse trained Tullamore drew wide in barrier 15, the five year old gelding had specking from $51 to $26 just on pure weight of money.

Waterhouse is aiming for her second Caulfield Cup winner in successive years after Descarado’s Caulfield Cup win in 2010.

While Peter Moody takes all before him, the Caulfield Cup has been a stumbling block to date in his stellar training career having not had a placegetter.

His record is unlikely to change with bolter Macedonian a drifter with luxbet from $101 to $151.

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They say money talks but not everyone is convinced the betting is correct particularly when the Mark Kavanagh trained galloper is yet to run 2400m.

His lead form is undeniably good having won five of six starts since arriving from England.

He joined the major  Melbourne Racing Spring Carnival players when winning the 2011 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington – his first start at Group 1 level.

The Caulfield Cup of 2011 isn’t being considered a classic year, in fact one of the weaker races and it may just give Kavanagh, whose history in the Caulfield Cup has been a tale of woe – something to smile about.

Luxbet are playing it safe and have posted December Draw as $2.30 ahead of the German galloper Lucas Cranach.

Now with the Lee Freedman yard that five-year old is making his Australian debut in the 2011 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

Luxbet have him safe at $7.50, good eachway odds and possibly value prior to today’s barrier draw.

The rest of the Caulfield Cup field are double figure odds.

The first of Michael Kent’s three gallopers in the 2011 Caulfield Cup betting is Absolutely at $10 with Luxbet with his  other two Unusual Suspect $101 and Domesky $81. It would make it a big trifecta result to the Cranbourne yard.

It is the sort of result that would suit the Luxbet 5% added on all exotic bets offer with the dividend derived from the best of the three Australian totes. There is no limit to what can be won.

Those who don’t like December Draw can get lots of value.

“December Draw” is the current Caulfield Cup favourite with Luxbet, providing good value at $7.50.

Online bookmakers are continuing to grow in step with a race which in itself is getting bigger and bigger every year.

In 2011 the Caulfield Cup betting markets will be flooded with both professional punters, weekend warriors and even the odd patriot with plenty more than just Australia represented.

While the local talent will naturally be top class prepare for an all out assault from international horses with already half a dozen signalling their intentions for the 2400m Group 1.

As you would expect plenty of them come from across the ditch in New Zealand, a country which in the past has shown us up when it comes to the staying contests.

They have proven sires for the longer trips and the often tough racing conditions in New Zealand have made their horses tough and prepared for Australia’s big contests.

It won’t just be a  trans-Tasman dual though, the Europeans are coming and they are coming in force.

The English the Irish and maybe even the odd Frenchy will attack our shores with big egos and even bigger aspirations  for our big Group 1′s.

The Europeans have always fancied their stocks as being superior once the distance gets over the mile so it’ll be a great match up when they aim to prove it on our home soil.

The Caulfield Cup always builds plenty of excitement and anticipation but the way it’s shaping up in 2011 there will be a heap of passion in the mix as well.

It’s something that’s not new and something we’ve already seen in action throughout this year.

The Queenslanders rose as one as Bold Glance punched above his weight in a strong showing during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

New South Wales got their own back with a string of home grown talent getting the wood over their rivals during the Queensland Winter Carnival.

New Zealand made their mark during the same carnival with Scarlett Lady getting the job done in the Queensland Oaks.

Well, the Caulfield Cup is going to be bigger than any of those, more money on the line, more glory, more prestige and an even greater level of competition.

You simply must support your team in the Caulfield Cup betting markets as we once again defend our spring carnival from the foreign invaders.

Online bookmaker Luxbet make it easy to show your colours and even easier to get an account up and running.

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It’s that simple and you could have a free bet worth up to $400 in your account to support your horse on the 2011 Caulfield Cup Betting markets!

Leading the Caulfield Cup betting at SportsBet is Metal Bender, priced at $6.00 and starting from barrier 2. He probably isn’t a good pick, however, as he has second top weight at 56kg and has been performing progressively worse as the season goes on.

Shocking is close behind at $6.50, maintaining the sheen of his Melbourne Cup win. Of course, that same win proved without doubt that he has staying power, and the barrier 12 draw will be unlikely to make much difference to him, though a 57kg weight isn’t ideal.

Our pick is Herculian Prince, trained by Gai Waterhouse and the winner of The Metropolitan. Priced at $7.50 to win, Herculian Prince looks like a real bargain, even if his run in the Colin Stephens Quality was a bit discouraging.

If you would like to get in on the 2010 Caulfield Cup betting, make sure you join an online betting site like SportsBet or IASbet. At IASbet, there are currently some excellent promotional deals for the Caulfield Cup. For example, if you back Shocking to win and he finishes second, your bet will be refunded back up to $200.

Also, for live updates on the 2010 Caulfield Cup please visit the news section of Races.com.au

2010 Caulfield Cup Betting

The nominations have drawn very competitive odds from the major online betting sites like SportsBet, IASbet and SportingBet. While picking a winner this far out can be a bit tricky, right now is the only time you will see favourites like Faint Perfume, Shoot Out and Dariana at prices above $12 for a win.

IASbet has gone crazy with its early Caulfield Cup betting and is offering $3.75 place bet prices for Dariana and Faint Perfume, with a $4 place bet price for Shoot Out. Given Shoot Out’s recent win in the JJ Liston Stakes, these early odds at IASbet are looking very good indeed.

Even if you do not want to take the risk of placing a bet before the final field is known, it is a good idea to sign up with an online betting site like SportsBet early on in the Spring racing season. By signing up early in the season, you can set up your account to use the most convenient deposit and withdrawal methods to make cashing out your winnings a breeze.

We think that your Caulfield Cup betting is best done with SportsBet, IASbet or SportingBet. These online betting sites offer early odds on all the biggest races and are also a great place to bet on sports if you are that way inclined. Even better, they are all trustworthy and reliable operators that you can be sure will pay you out promptly on your big wins.