Which threw the race on its head because Bande was the guaranteed leader and everyone was left scrambling with their changed race plans, wondering whether there would be significant pace in the race.
"It's changed things a lot," said Kerryn McEvoy, riding the favourite Lucia Valentina, whose chances are definitely tempo-related. The former New Zealand mare will be no better than halfway forward in the field and McEvoy's job of picking when and where to make his forward move suddenly became so much more difficult.
Bande's defection, which has greatly upset the Japanese contingent in Melbourne, will enormously assist the chance of Ruakaka mare Rising Romance. James McDonald has weaved magic in all his $4 million-plus wins this year and will need to achieve that again with Rising Romance coming out of a wide gate.
Caulfield Cups are all about luck, but McEvoy says he would not be on anything but Lucia Valentina.
"I will have to ride her according to the tempo of the race and if she gets the breaks she is the horse to beat. She builds up under you beautifully as the race goes on and can really finish off."
McEvoy said he has respect for the second Japanese runner Admire Rakti.
"I've been watching him at the quarantine station and he's moving nicely. I also have time for Peter Moody's pair Lidari and Brambles, who finished second and third to Lucia Valentina last week. They both took a bit of getting past in that race."
The defection of Bande and English stayer Dandino has robbed this Caulfield Cup of a significant element of talent, but no one will deny the class of Lucia Valentina and Rising Romance if either wins.
Chris Waller is not sure if he can win the Caulfield Cup but he is certain it will reveal more about his chances in the Melbourne Cup.
Waller has the most runners of any Caulfield Cup trainer with four horses chasing the A$3 million purse.
Three are last-start winners, each giving Waller a different angle to work with as he tries to lift the Caulfield Cup for the first time.
Junoob provides a Group One edge after his Metropolitan win, Moriarty goes in with a weight-for-age victory and Who Shot Thebarman has been impressive in Melbourne.
But only one is rated a serious chance at Flemington next month.
Who Shot Thebarman has crept his way into Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup reckoning but a moment of truth for the stayer has arrived after successive Flemington wins.
"Out of the race we need Who Shot Thebarman to be a genuine Melbourne Cup contender and therefore we want him to be finishing in the first three," Waller said.
Waller insists a lot has to fall into place for his horses to figure at Caulfield.
To some extent it already has with two overseas stayers ruled out because of lameness.
"You want to win it but you know how hard they are to win," Waller said.
"We've got to hope that others fail because we've prepared ours the best we can.
"You just need to have the horse right on the day, and as I said, hope some of those international horses struggle to acclimatise because we've got the home ground advantage."
Hawkspur completes Waller's quartet as the five-year-old returns to Caulfield after finishing midfield as favourite in last year's Cup.
Damien Oliver is chasing a record-equalling fifth win for a jockey when he partners Hawkspur who is a $17 chance.
Bande's forced withdrawal gives third emergency Unchain My Heart a start in the Cup with Dandino and Gris Caro taken out on Thursday.
And last year's third placegetter Dear Demi is also out of the Caulfield Cup with a throat infection, giving fourth emergency Renew a start.
The inclusion of Renew gives Simon O'Donnell and Terry Henderson's OTI Racing three runners after they originally had just one - Lidari. First emergency Brambles gained a start with Thursday's defections.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained The Offer has been give the all clear to run in the Caulfield Cup but will have another inspection on course on raceday.
Waterhouse reported on Thursday that The Offer was showing signs of lameness to the off-foreleg. The Offer is a $31 chance. Additional reporting AAP
