Two-cup bonanza for connections

IF THE horse that wins the 2011 Cranbourne Cup backs it up six days later with a win in the Caulfield Cup, he/she will pocket $3,730,000 for connections.
It is the richest incentive in the history of Australian racing.
TAB Sportsbet, sponsor of the Cranbourne Cup for the third year, has doubled its financial bonus for the Cranbourne and Caulfield cups to $2 million.
The Cranbourne Cup will be run on Sunday 9 October – and the Caulfield Cup on Saturday 15 October.
This year’s Cranbourne Cup will be worth $200,000.
Cranbourne trainer Mick Kent, who quinellaed his home-town cup last year with Starmon and My Bentley, said the TAB Sportsbet $2 million bonus for winning the two Cups was virtually “irresistible”.
“It’s a very attractive option,” he said.
“You have a six-day back-up, but a lot of cup horses run off a seven-day back-up.”
In the past 21 years, only six winners of the Cranbourne Cup have had a start in the Caulfield Cup, with 1998 Cranbourne Cup winner Lisa’s Game, trained by Tony Vasil, finishing second to Taufan’s Melody at Caulfield.
In 2009 Barbaricus, trained by Danny O’Brien, just failed to win the Cranbourne Cup, but six days later finished a gallant third in the Caulfield Cup to All The Good.
The Cranbourne Cup will this year be run for the third time as a quality handicap, with a maximum topweight of 60kg.
“The $2 million bonus will certainly put the focus on the Cranbourne Turf Club and make TAB Sportsbet Cranbourne Cup day a feature racing event during the Spring Racing Carnival,” Cranbourne chairman Robin Daley said.
The second running of the Apache Cat Classic – a feature race for sprinters – will be worth $100,000.