Enfjaar's jockey Ray Dawson arrives, feeling calm ahead of Caulfield Cup

Jockey Ray Dawson has jetted into Melbourne for his maiden ride in the Caulfield Cup, marking his first visit to Australia. Despite the long flight from England, the 33-year-old rider wasted no time in connecting with Enfjaar at Werribee, the horse he will partner in Saturday's 2400-metre feature race.

Dawson landed at 6:30am on Wednesday and within a few hours, had seen Enfjaar, an $11 chance, during his morning track gallop. "I'm tired and it is a bit colder than I thought it would be, but I am excited and I've just seen Enfjaar and he looks really well and ready and set for Saturday," Dawson shared.

He observed that the horse appears notably relaxed, a contrast to some days at home. "I just said to (the team) that he is very relaxed. He can have days at home where he is a bit irate and he wears a hood galloping and he wore a hood at Goodwood to keep the noise levels down but he seems really relaxed over there. There's not a problem on him." Dawson added that while Enfjaar can be "a bit highly strung and that is in his character," he hopes this calm disposition will carry through to race day.

Securing barrier one has further pleased Dawson, who is not concerned about the initial scramble for positions. "I was happy to see him draw one and that makes life a little bit easier. Hopefully we get a clear run," he indicated.

Having studied numerous replays of the Caulfield track, Dawson noted, "I've watched a lot of replays and they seem to go quite quick to the bend and steady up. I've watched the last ten years of replays and it seems that you need to have a good horse but also luck." He acknowledges that the track might be a new experience for Enfjaar, but is confident in his own ability. "It will be different for Enfjaar as he's probably never experienced track like it but it is a horse race and I'm well used to it. We'll go on there with a bit of confidence and hopefully get a bit of luck on the way around."

Dawson also highlighted the gelding's significant improvement this year. "He has got a lot better this year. Even at Goodwood he was a lot better in the parade and the way around." Their previous success in the Group 3 Glorious Stakes (2414m) at Goodwood in June provided the impetus for this Melbourne venture, a trip Dawson considered a straightforward decision.

The jockey is slated to partner the Roger Varian-trained six-year-old gelding for his final track gallop on Thursday morning, a key preparation step before the major race.

Consider checking out online bookmakers for the latest racing odds on the Caulfield Cup.