Melbourne Cup hopes still alive
Ex-NZ galloper ‘a genuine stayer’ heading into the spring majors
Former New Zealand galloper Patrick Erin kept alive his slim hopes of a Lexus Melbourne Cup start when he lunged late to win the Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Trainer Chris Waller said the seven-year-old gelding, who narrowly beat home stablemate Brimham Rocks, was a genuine stayer with upside heading into the business end of the spring.
“[We] might look at something bigger,” Waller said looking ahead to the spring. “The St Leger here in two weeks and obviously you’ve got the Cups in Melbourne.
“Two miles is really going to suit him to hit his peak“
Starting at $16, Patrick Erin had a short half head margin over the $4.60 favourite Brimham Rocks with just a long head to Sikandarabad ($26) in third place. Waller said he always thought the horse could lift his rating: “I could just see him improving,” he said. “He’s a tough horse.’“
Patrick Erin has the minimum 50 kilograms for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and while he could score a penalty out of his Metropolitan win, he still stands a long way short of making both races.
Corey Brown is already committed to a Melbourne Cup ride aboard Magic Circle but said Patrick Erin was a stayer to watch. “Obviously I already have a Melbourne Cup ride but I would love to partner this horse all the way to the Cup,” Brown said.
“He is a lovely horse. The owners have obviously travelled over from New Zealand and they deserve a big win like this.” Brown said he was impressed with the way Patrick Erin picked up.
“There wasn’t any speed on paper so I thought we would settle midfield
but we kept getting shuffled right back and were probably worse than midfield but once the runs appeared in the straight with no weight on his back he actually picked up and lengthened really well.”
Kerrin McEvoy aboard Brimham Rocks said: “Good run, we just slid forward from the barrier to just offset that wide gate, he got into a nice rhythm and he was the winner until the last three strides, great effort by my horse.”
Jye McNeil was aboard thirdplaced Sikandarabad: “Terrific run. I thought at one stage he was going to be good enough to win but they got over the top of him in the last stride, he chased really hard.”