Long before the European influx of staying talent, it was the New Zealand-breds that punters feared most in Australia’s great handicaps.
Saturday’s The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington carries a coveted ‘win and you’re in’ ticket to the Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 4. Of the 17 runners, nine are European-bred, three are Australian, and five are from New Zealand.
Three of those Kiwi-breds run for New Zealand stables (two having already campaigned in Melbourne this prep), while the fresh face is Trav—this year’s Auckland Cup hero—seeking to lock in his Cup path by winning on Saturday.
Trav is prepared by Raymond Connors, a former amateur jumps jockey in New Zealand who rode for Kevin Myers—well known to Australian racing fans.
“We’ve come a long way and it’s great to be here, but we’ll see how we go on Saturday,” Connors said at Flemington on Friday morning.
“We might be going home pretty quick too, but hopefully the horse runs well.
“It’s funny how things evolve over time, from the beginning, to now, it’s a bit of a dream.”
Nicknamed Trav as a weanling—staff figured he’d be the horse they’d be travelling with—the moniker stuck. A winner of six from 28, he put the Melbourne Cup on the radar with his March success in the Auckland Cup.
“He was rising six at the time and we thought we’d give him the opportunity,” Connors said.
“It’s always been a dream to get a horse into the Melbourne Cup and none of us are getting any younger, so we thought we might as well give it a go.
“This horse might not be up to it, but we might not get another chance. He seems to stay the distance. He’s run the two miles twice and run it well.”
Connors expects Trav to improve third-up on Saturday before likely heading to the Geelong Cup on October 22 for another crack at a ballot exemption.
Last year, fellow Kiwi Mark Twain booked a ‘Golden Ticket’ by winning The Roy Higgins at Flemington, only for a tendon issue to dash the Melbourne Cup dream. He was sent to Matthew Williams at Warrnambool for rehab.
“It was a bit gutting having got the ‘Golden Ticket’ last year through the Roy Higgins and not being able to run in the race,” Wellwood said.
“He’s a very sound and healthy horse now and it’s nice to be back in a position where we’re looking at being a chance of heading down the Melbourne Cup path, but we need to get a couple more runs out of the way first.
“To win The Bart Cummings, or if we head to the Geelong Cup after this, would also be great, but the Melbourne Cup is always the dream and that’s the path he’s on.
“Hopefully he can go a couple of nice races at his next two starts and line-up on the first Tuesday in November in good order.”
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