The international contingent is shaping up strongly for Australian trainers, following the running of the Geelong Cup.
Ciaron Maher trains Wednesday’s Group 3 winner, Point Of Law, but the stayer was prepared from quarantine at Werribee after arriving from the UK last month with the first shipment of spring horses.
Winning Wednesday’s race grants Point Of Law a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3.
Ridden by Ethan Brown, Point Of Law ($6) recorded a half-length victory over fellow Werribee quarantine entrants Small Fry ($5.50) and Omni Man ($15).
Both Small Fry and Omni Man are prepared by Joseph O’Brien, a trainer with two Melbourne Cup wins, and both stayers were chasing a ‘Golden Ticket’ into the Cup.
O’Brien has nine horses among the 57 still in contention for the Melbourne Cup and has Kizlyar aiming for a ‘Golden Ticket’ in the Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Point Of Law, having just its fifth start on Wednesday, carries 51kg in the Cup and is eligible for a rehandicap after its victory.
The four-year-old son of Frankel was formerly owned by His Majesty The King before being acquired by clients of Maher. This Geelong Cup win finally removed the trainer’s second-place curse in the race, having run second with Gilded Water last year, a galloper also owned by His Majesty.
“I’ve run second a number of times, including one of my first good horses Moudre,” Maher commented.
“It’s great to win, but it’s great to win it with such a progressive horse.
“He’s just a good horse. It was a beautiful ride by Brownie and hopefully he pulls up well, because he looks like he’ll run two-mile.”
Maher noted that Point Of Law requires a degree of management, but the experience of racing and winning at Geelong was a positive for the galloper.
“This is a good insight into how he was going to be,” Maher said.
“With each passing day, he’s relaxed a little bit more, he’s got used to the routine. He paraded beautifully, so hopefully he pulls up well.
“He doesn’t look like he’s too stressed there and Brownie looks quite happy there as well.
“He’ll have some decisions to make.”
Brown had not sat on Point Of Law prior to parading to the gates and sensed the stayer was keen in its preliminary.
“From the gate, it couldn’t have worked out any better,” Brown stated.
“There was a bit of pressure early where I thought at one stage I was going to take it up, but I didn’t want to wind him up too much knowing that he gets keen.
“I had to be more of a horseman on him and work with him rather than worrying about trying to bang him into a spot and do something quickly.
“I just allowed him to find his rhythm, bring him back outside the leader where he settled really well and although it was a strong gallop, I wasn’t worried about it.
“Ciaron told me the other day he galloped four laps when the rider couldn’t pull him up at Werribee, so I knew he’d sustain a gallop.
“He’s going to go to the Cup as a huge chance from what I felt today.”
Point Of Law’s dominant Geelong Cup performance has him on the radar for the Melbourne Cup; check out the best Australian betting sites for the latest odds.