Mark Twain’s ballot-free run to the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) is set to begin in Melbourne next month, with four lead-up races planned for the Kiwi stayer.
OTI Racing director Terry Henderson announced on Tuesday that the rising five-year-old will be campaigned exclusively in Melbourne leading up to the Flemington feature on November 5.
The final lead-in race is likely to be the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 23.
After winning the Listed Roy Higgins Quality ( 2600m) at Flemington in March, Mark Twain is expected to start his campaign on August 17 in a handicap at Caulfield.
“We have that race in mind on the 17th of August to kick him off and then it’s into a 1700-metre race at Flemington on Makybe Diva Stakes Day (September 15), before we aim up at a Turnbull (October 5),” Henderson told Racing.com.
“That leaves us with a possible Geelong Cup run to prime him for Flemington.”
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