Tralee Rose has all but secured her spot in the Melbourne Cup after a tough win in the Group 3 Geelong Cup on Wednesday.
The Symon Wilde-trained mare started as an easing $2.60 favourite, and after landing in the box seat from barrier four, she toughed it out in the concluding stages to fend off the challenge from Dr Drill.
The five-year-old daughter of Tavistock was sitting 23rd in the Melbourne Cup order of entry on Wednesday morning, before being elevated to 21st due to the withdrawal of Lloyd Williams' pair King Of Leogrance and Dawn Patrol, but winning the Geelong Cup will elevate her higher with a weight penalty, meaning she will be a definite starter on the first Tuesday in November.
Dean Holland partnered the now six-times winner and gave her a perfect steer along the rails to hit the front early in the straight, before the mare showed her staying prowess to give a strong kick in the shadows of the post to pull away.
“It's just good to get an opportunity on a horse like this,” Holland told Racing.com.
“We missed the other day (2nd in the Bart Cummings), but she was ultra-tough today; she was the best horse in the race.
“To be honest, I thought she was beat at the 200, but gee, she was tough.”
Having carried 55.5kg in the Geelong Cup, Tralee Rose will receive a well-needed drop in weight in the race that stops a nation, with her original weight handicapped at 51kg, although a small penalty is expected.
The mare's trainer was pleased with the victory, especially as the 3200m of the Melbourne Cup is going to suit her even more.
“I thought she was there to be beaten,” Wilde said.
“She toughed it out late; I think from a Melbourne Cup point of view, that was very pleasing.
“As I said pre-race, she did look a touch dour in the Bart Cummings and again today, but I think that's really positive going forward.”
Tralee Rose has now firmed into $13 for the Melbourne Cup and shares the third line of betting with Grand Promenade, who beat her in the Bart Cummings at Flemington last time out.
Incentivise is the $2.50 favourite for Australia's most famous race after his emphatic victory in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.
Punters who took the current favourite in all-in markets with Sportsbet.com.au woke up to good news on Wednesday morning, with the online bookmaker paying out early on Incentivise to win the Melbourne Cup.
Sportsbet reportedly paid out over $5.6 million in winnings to customers.