Racing Victoria (RV) Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, has today elected not to re-handicap Tralee Rose in the $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) following her triumph in yesterday’s bet365 Geelong Cup (2400m).
As a result of the decision, she remains on 51kg in the Melbourne Cup, but has risen four places to 20th in the order of entry in 24 hours thanks to the prizemoney earned in yesterday’s Group 3 win and the withdrawal of higher ranked trio Montefilia, Dawn Patrol and King of Leogrance. Those factors mean that Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde is assured his first Melbourne Cup starter at Flemington on Tuesday, 2 November.
In electing not to penalise the five-year-old New Zealand-bred mare, Carpenter noted hers was a hard-fought victory over an outsider who is not nominated for the Melbourne Cup in Dr Drill. He further added that no mare has placed in a Melbourne Cup in the 15 editions since Makybe Diva won the race in 2005.
Geelong Cup third placegetter, the Sue Murphy-trained South Australian visitor Hasta La War, was another to rise in the order of entry owing to prizemoney earned yesterday. He improved one position to 39th but will likely need to win the Group 3 Lexus Hotham Handicap (2500m) at Flemington on 30 October to secure a start.
The Hotham Handicap is one of two remaining ballot exemption races for the Melbourne Cup, although the other, Saturday’s Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley, will have little bearing on the order of entry with the two Cup acceptors engaged, Verry Elleegant (third) and Gold Trip (fifth), both assured of starts at Flemington.
Fourth acceptances for the Melbourne Cup will be taken at 10am (AEDT) next Monday, 25 October.
Click to view the updated Melbourne Cup order of entry as at 21 October 2021