A Melbourne Cup day win was a new experience for country trainer Gwenda Johnstone.

But she will be back at Flemington on VRC Oaks day with a runner in a race much more familiar.

Johnstone has prepared the winner of the tradtional Oaks day race for grey-coloured horses three times.

She has Consoling Amy in Thursday’s Greys Challenge (1400m).

“It has been a great race to us,” Johnstone said.

“If I have got a grey horse in work and not going too bad, I try to look at this race.”

Consoling Amy’s stablemate Precious Gem won a support race on Tuesday to give Johnstone a winner from her first runner on a Melbourne Cup day at Flemington.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” she said.

A second placing and a winner from two runners on her home track at Echuca followed later in the day.

Consoling Amy finished his race off well for third at triple-figure odds at Caulfield in the first of two heats leading into the $100,000 final.

“He was fresh for that and we’ve kept him fresh for tomorrow,” Johnstone said.

He is rated a $31 chance to join Shadowmaker (2003), Shadowpark (2004) and Theresnothinglycra (2006) as Johnstone-trained winners of the race.