WARRNAMBOOL-trained mare Tralee Rose raced into the $8 million Melbourne Cup on November 2 with a gutsy win in the $400,000 Geelong Cup on Wednesday.
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Tralee Rose, ridden by Dean Holland, won the group three race by half-a-length over Dr Drill and Hasta La War.
Trainer Symon Wilde said the victory was a great pipe-opener for Tralee Rose's bid to win Australia's most famous horse race next month.
"It was a very good win leading into the Melbourne Cup," Wilde told The Standard.
"I'm glad we decided to run in the Geelong Cup. We were thinking of not running in the Geelong Cup as I thought she might squeeze her way into the Melbourne Cup field through the attrition of other horses but we pulled the right reign in running.
"She got a top run in the race. She was there to be beaten but she went to the line real strong. She's a dour staying mare leading into the two miles of the Melbourne Cup and I reckon that's what you need a strong stayer.
"We've now got less than two weeks to the Melbourne Cup. I really believe she's a genuine top five chance in the Melbourne Cup.
It's really exciting for Tralee Rose's connections and our staff that we've got a life chance in the Melbourne Cup. The staff at home deserve a lot of credit they all work very hard and love the horses."
Tralee Rose has been handicapped to carry 51kgs in the Melbourne Cup but it's expected Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter may announce a penalty for the lightly raced five-year-old in the cup on Thursday. From her 15 starts Tralee Rose has won six races.
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