The connections of today’s Geelong Cup winner, Caravan Rolls On, will anxiously await a decision on a Melbourne Cup penalty to gain a start in the race that stops the nation on the first Tuesday in November.
Geelong Cup winner Caravan Rolls On needs a penalty to gain a start in the Melbourne Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
A clever Craig Williams ride saw Caravan Rolls On slide up along the fence to outstay his rivals in the Group 3 $300,000 Sportingbet Powerd By William Hill Geelong Cup (2400m) at Geelong.
Caravan Rolls On has 51kgs in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington and is currently forty-fifth in the order of entry and will need Racing Victoria Chief Handicapper Greg Carpenter to issue a penalty for today’s win to gain a start.
“I hope he gets s a penalty. The horse that won the Herbert Power got two kilos the other day, a similar standard of race today,” O’Brien said.
“If he gets a penalty of that sort of nature he’ll be into the Cup, he gets the two miles, that’s his aim, he’ll be a top six chance for sure.”
O’Brien took over the training of Caravan Rolls On from English trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam who campaigned the stayer during the Melbourne Spring Carnival last year for a third over 2800m at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day before winning the in the Listed $150,000 Sportingbet Sandown Cup (3200m) at Caulfield.
O’Brien has taken the seven year old along slowly and today’s run was only his third for the Flemington trainer.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have him. We’ve had him for better part of a year now and it’s been a long plan to get him to a Melbourne Cup and today was a big part of it,” O’Brien said
“Fortunately he got the job done, it was only his third start in a year.”
“There is a hell of a lot of improvement to come and hopefully he gets into the Melbourne Cup.”
“He is a genuine two miler. We had to keep him very fresh today for the 2400m.”
“He was this up with three and a half weeks in between runs, we had to keep the sprint in his legs to be able to win at the mile and a half. At two miles he will improve two or three lengths on what he showed today.”
Today’s win was Williams’ fifth Geelong Cup victory and he gave Caravan Rolls On ($8.50) every chance, settling just behind the leading division before pushing up along the fence to record a three quarters of a length win over Marksmanship ($9) with Like A Carousel a further half a length away in third spot.
The favourite Sertorius ($4.80) was forced to circle the field and race on the pace after being caught wide in the early stages and faded in the run to the line to finish in eighth position, eight and a half lengths from the winner.
