Melbourne-bound after royal win
ROYAL Order will head to Flemington on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival after braining his rivals in the Benchmark 70 handicap over 1700m yesterday.
The Mick Kent-trained five-year-old has won three from 10 in his lightly-raced career, but the astute Cranbourne trainer has higher hopes for the son of Commands.
“He’s still got a few grades in his locker with his rating but we’re hoping to go to Flemington,” he said. “He’s a horse I’ve got a bit of time for. “He’s out of a Zabeel mare and we’ve taken our time with him and he’s a speedy animal this time in.
“He used to get out the back and be quite dour, but he’s just got a bit more time about him now.
“The breeders are here; they bred him and they’re a great bunch of people and they’re patient with the horse, and it was a lovely ride from the barrier.”
He came to Geelong on the back of a third over 1400m at Bendigo, but looked better suited out to a trip.
Kent said Brad Rawiller would have retained the ride had he not fallen at Cranbourne on Sunday, but winning jockey Mark Zahra was more than pleased to take the ride.
Zahra said he got a perfect cart into the race to win second-up from a spell.
“He won really well. I said to Mick, I was really confident a long way out,” Zahra said.
“We were in that three-wide train and just kept flowing, it was perfect.”
The Benchmark 90 handicap over 2000m worth $120,000 at Flemington on Derby Day looks perfect for Royal Order, a halfbrother to Oncidium Ruler who won the same race last year for the same connections.
Kent also praised the track conditions at Geelong.