For the second year in a row, the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace stable have confirmed a Melbourne Cup starter by winning The Bart Cummings at Flemington.
Grand Promenade followed in the hoofsteps of Persan 12 months earlier by winning the Group 3 race and earning a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 2.
Persan, who finished seventh in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) earlier on Saturday’s program, went on to run fifth behind Twilight Payment in last year’s Cup.
Given the perfect ride over the 2500m journey on Saturday by John Allen, Grand Promenade ($5.50) scored by 1-¼ lengths from Tralee Rose ($8.50) with Master Of Wine ($51) a neck away third.
Mahar said Grand Promenade’s campaign had been based around Saturday’s race and getting the stayer into the Melbourne Cup, which is likely to be his next start.
“He’s the right horse, he’s a proper two-miler,” Maher said.
“I was rapt when they went a decent tempo the whole way today.
“This is a race we set him for and to get the job done, well half-done, is pretty satisfying.”
Maher praised his staff who work in stables in Sydney, Caulfield, Ballarat and Fingal in getting Grand Promenade to the races on Saturday.
He said the stayer had been in work throughout the year, like the program Persan was set last year.
“It’s great when a plan goes off so onwards and upwards to the next one,” Maher said.
Allen has ridden Grand Promenade to six of his eight wins from his 19 starts and said the race could not have panned out better.
But with 51kg in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, Allen said that was too light for him.
“Brett (Prebble on Pondus) looked as if he was intent on leading and once that I was happy that he was going to roll along at a good tempo, I was happy to sit in behind,” Allen said.
“But I think his Cup weight is a bit light for me, but he’ll be a good ride for someone.”