Emma-Lee and David Browne will now take every precaution with Basilinna after the mare booked her place in the Melbourne Cup thanks to a career-best performance at Flemington.

By winning the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) on Saturday, Basilinna secured a coveted ballot exemption into the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November.

Handled expertly by jockey Dean Yendall, the $21 chance relished the Soft 7 conditions, surging clear to win by 1¼ lengths over $101 outsider Glentaneous, with Ferneo ($14) a further 1½ lengths away in third.

Emma-Lee Browne was overcome with emotion post-race, thrilled by the result and what it means for their stable.

“I’m a little bit overwhelmed,” Browne said.

“She’s a horse that means a lot to me and I can’t believe that she did it.

“When the rain came we were pretty confident, but she is a proper princess and it might have been too much rain, but she just handled it so well.

“We’ve just got to wrap her in cotton wool now and we’ll be back here in November.

“It’s a massive thing for our whole stable.”

The Brownes have been steadily building their presence since relocating to Australia in 2022, and Saturday’s win caps off a strong 2024-25 campaign that already included success in the $1 million VOBIS Showdown at Caulfield.

“We’ve had a great season, but this has really topped it off,” Browne said.

The story behind Basilinna is especially meaningful for the Brownes. After the tragic passing of jumper Monarch Chimes in 2019, David bought So Royal—the dam of Basilinna—as a sentimental replacement.

“Her mum’s by Shinko King and I laughed and said ‘you can’t replace him’ but I think he’s done a pretty good job,” Browne said.

“We bred her and she’s done a pretty good job.

“Right from the start today, she was handling the track great and I think I will be the only one hoping for rain in November.”

Punters can follow Basilinna’s journey toward the Melbourne Cup and access futures betting markets through Australia’s top betting sites.