“He seems to have come through it alright, so I think we will have to have a go now and carry on with the plan and see where we end up.”
The 6-year-old son of Almanzor currently sits in 53rd place in order of entry for the Melbourne Cup, with an allocated weight of 51kg, and two Melbourne Cup ballot-exempt races are now firmly in the crosshairs.
“We have pencilled in for him to fly over next week,” Connors said.
“We will start him in The Bart Cummings (Gr.3, 2500m, at Flemington on October 4), see how he goes and make a decision after that.
“It is a big step up over there obviously.”
Trav will likely be joined in the race by fellow New Zealand-trained Melbourne Cup aspirants Mark Twain and (Mister) Wolfgang, who currently sit 46th and 47th in order of entry, while Te Awamutu mare La Crique is already assured of a start in 14th place, with an allocated weight of 54.5kg.
Connors is hoping for a strong performance from Trav in his opening Australian assignment, and if he performs up to expectations, he will be given another chance at gaining an automatic spot in the Melbourne Cup in the Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 22.
“There are obviously plenty of options for him over there, but if he runs well, the Geelong Cup is his next target most likely,” he said.
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk