The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable is aiming to field a second runner in the Melbourne Cup, contingent on The Euphrates winning the Geelong Cup.
A victory in Wednesday’s Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) grants the winner direct entry into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3.
The Euphrates is currently ranked 29th in the Melbourne Cup ballot order, although several horses ahead of the imported stayer are not headed for the Cup.
Waterhouse advised that The Euphrates had also been accepted for the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday, as a safeguard measure.
Previously under the care of Aidan O’Brien, The Euphrates has raced only three times in Australia, securing a win in the Kingstown Town Stakes at Randwick and a third placing in The Metropolitan (2400m) on October 3.
The gelding was listed as first emergency for last Saturday’s Caulfield Cup (2400m) but ultimately did not gain a start.
Waterhouse conveyed her feeling of being ‘very disappointed’ about the horse missing a run.
“I think he’s an exciting horse and I think he can win the race tomorrow and it’s a good race for him to go to, but we’ve also accepted in the Moonee Valley Cup,” Waterhouse commented. “We want to get him in the Melbourne Cup, so we’ll have a look at both races, just as a precaution.”
Vauban is also among the acceptors for the Geelong Cup, and Waterhouse stated that Wednesday’s race represents the ideal preparation for the Melbourne Cup.
The French-bred gelding holds a comfortable position at number 16 in the Melbourne Cup Order of Entry and will be striving for success in his fourth Cup attempt.
Vauban contested the Cup twice for Willie Mullins, finishing 14th and then 11th respectively, while last year he achieved a sixth-place finish for Waterhouse and Bott.
The gelding has not raced since May, when he finished third in the Doomben Cup, but Waterhouse affirmed that Vauban is performing ‘super’.
“It gives him just under two weeks to run in that race tomorrow and then into the next race, the Melbourne Cup,” Waterhouse said. “It’s a bit unusual, but I said to the owners I’ve had to call on all my training expertise to hopefully pull it off.”
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