DESPITE filling the quinella in yesterday’s $300,000 Geelong Cup, Caravan Rolls On and runner-up Marksmanship have to push forward to the Lexus Stakes on November 1 as they try to force their way into the Melbourne Cup field.
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Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter is expected to hand a kilogram penalty for Caravan Rolls On today for the Melbourne Cup after his Geelong Cup win but it’s insufficient to get the seven-year-old into the race.
Camperdown’s Geoffrey Faber, who manages Qatar Racing and Bloodstock interests in Australia for Sheik Fahad Al-Thani, the owner of Caravan Rolls On, said the stallion would take his place in the Lexus Stakes field.
“I think Greg will only give Caravan Rolls On a kilogram penalty. The penalty will probably mean we’ll be around number 40 for the Melbourne Cup.
“We’ll have to run in the Lexus to get into the Melbourne Cup. The winner of the Lexus goes straight into the Cup.
“Full credit to Craig Williams for his ride on Caravan Rolls On. It was brilliant. The horse drew the right gate and was perfectly ridden. We know he can run out a solid 3200 metres so we’ve got to get him into the Melbourne Cup.”
Marksmanship will also go down the Lexus path, according to his trainer Ciaron Maher.
“We’re no stranger trying to force our way into the Melbourne Cup through the Lexus,”Maher said. “We tried to do it with Moudre twice.
“I thought it was a super effort by Marksmanship. He appreciated a bit of give in the track.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed that we get some rain before the Lexus. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy was very postive about the run.”
Marksmanship’s second placing continued Maher’s unlucky run in the Geelong Cup. Moudre ran second in 2010 before running third in last year’s race.