After Tutukaka flagged himself a leading chance in the Victoria Derby when winning the Listed Geelong Classic, the late, great Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock struck again with the Melbourne Cup hope Tralee Rose in the $400,000 Group III Bet365 Geelong Cup (2400m).
Ridden by Dean Holland for trainer Symon Wilde, Tralee Rose did not have to go around a runner when taking the lead turning for home.
Brett Prebble on the Dansili gelding Dr Drill (GB) at the 200m before excepting his fate in the final 50metres when Tralee Rose proved the superior stayer, to go down by half a length.
The Declaration Of War gelding Hasta La War was two and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Tralee Rose looked something a bit special when romping in with the Listed Bagot Handicap and Group III Lord Reims Stakes earlier this year.
Some gloss went off when she was beaten at odd-on in the Group II Adelaide Cup.
The 5yo daughter of Tavistock advances her record to six wins, four seconds, and two thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $744,725.
“I don’t think Dean had too many options other than to go to the fence,” Wilde said.
“I hoped that she’d be off the fence, and she’d be able to get rolling, but with all the horses staying one or two off it, it provided a perfect passage.
“She got a lovely run. I thought she was there to be beaten and she toughed it out. From a Melbourne Cup point-of-view it was very pleasing.
“She did look a touch dour in The Bart Cummings and again today, but I think that it positive going forward.
“All the work is done. We were grappling whether to run or not and I’m glad we did. It will top her off beautifully. It’s not like she’s falling in, she’s getting stronger as the races go on late.
“It’s just a dream. It is dawning on us now that we’ve got a genuine live hope in the Melbourne Cup. She’s a horse that we found in New Zealand as a yearling.
“You look at them and think ‘can this be the one’. She had her first start here at Geelong and to be coming back a bit over twelve months and win the Geelong Cup and being a live hope in the Melbourne Cup if we can get her there in the one piece, it’s what you dream of.”
Holland said the mare was there to be beaten at the 200m but proved the superior stayer.
“To be honest, I thought I was beat at the 200m, but she was tough. Dr Drill probably put a head on me and in the end, I was always going to draw away,” Holland said.
“I’m really looking forward to riding her in the Cup.
“The hardest part of my job was pulling her up and that’s a good sign going into the Melbourne Cup.”
Purchased by Cameron Cooke Bloodstock/Sy
mon Wilde Racing for $50,000 out of the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2018 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Tralee Rose is the lone winner from two to race out of the stakes-placed Zabeel mare Star Of Tralee.
Third in the Listed NZ St Leger, Star Of Tralee is a half-sister to the VRC Oaks, AJC Australian Oaks, and STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes winner Serenade Rose (Stravinsky), the granddam of Godolphin’s BRC Stradbroke Hcp and SAJC Goodwood Hcp winner Trekking (Street Cry) who has banked over $5.8 million.
Star Of Tralee has a yearling colt by Russian Revolution and was covered by Kermadec last spring.
