Racing: Boss' hopes ride on Jet Away in $1.1m Mackinnon Stakes

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The thoughts of Glen Boss as the four-day Melbourne Cup carnival approached used to be occupied with how he was going to ride freak mare Makybe Diva in the big one come Tuesday.

Last night, actually getting a Melbourne Cup ride was foremost in the outstanding rider's mind.

Boss today goes into the A$1 million ($1.14 million) Mackinnon Stakes on the David Hayes runner Jet Away, one of the recent European imports.

Jet Away is the $3 favourite to take the time-honoured Mackinnon.

But only one result will satisfy the team.

Jet Away has to win to push his way into the Melbourne Cup line-up - being beaten by a lip won't be good enough.

The Melbourne Cup betting market is still extremely volatile.

Yesterday you could get $27 for Jet Away, but if he wins today, as many expect, he will be pushing up right behind the favourites in betting.

"I thought he went an extremely good race in the Caulfield Cup," said trainer David Hayes.

At Caulfield, Jet Away came from well beyond mid-field to finish a handy fourth to Fawkner, suggesting the 3200m at Flemington might not be a problem, even though a lot of his best form has been at today's 2000m.

"He's won six of his eight starts at 2000m," Hayes points out.

Hayes has already tasted Melbourne Cup success, but he wasn't keen to elaborate too much about Jet Away for Tuesday.

"He's not in the Cup yet, we'll worry more about it if he gets in."

Threatening favouritism with Jet Away today is former New Zealand galloper Solzhenitsyn, who has been in magnificent form for Queensland trainer Robert Heathcote in the past 12 months.

After Solzhenitsyn stylishly won the Toorak Handicap there was a suggestion he might try last week's Cox Plate.

But that plan was scrapped in favour of today's race.