New Zealand galloper Mandela bounded into Melbourne Cup calculations with victory in the group three A$150,000 ($173,000) Geelong Cup in Victoria yesterday.
Mandela was rated only 51st in the order of entry for the A$5 million Melbourne Cup before yesterday's race, but seems likely to attract a weight re-handicap whichwould propel him into the cup field.
He has 50kg in the Melbourne Cup on November 7 and probably needs a 1.5kg penalty to be assured of a start.
Helping his cause will be the fact that second place yesterday went to Vanquished, who was third to Tawqeet in the Metropolitan Handicap in Sydney this month. Tawqeet went on to win last Saturday's Caulfield Cup.
Mandela is trained in Auckland by Richard Yuill.
"It was the reason we came across, the Melbourne Cup, and things seem to be falling into place," Yuill said after the race.
Mandela raced on the pace and relished the 2400m distance, galloping clear at the top of the straight and easily holding Vanquished and third-placed Drac's Back at bay.
Mandela's jockey Craig Williams was impressed.
"He gave me a lovely ride throughout, he positioned nicely and he settled perfectly," Williams told Australian racing television channel TVN.
Mandela was rated a $300 chance in Australia for the Melbourne Cup before the Geelong Cup, but his odds were slashed to $26 immediately after the event.
Pentane, the best backed of the New Zealand runners yesterday, raced at the rear and finished 12th of the 17 runners after jockey Steven King had to switch wide out in the straight.
Fellow Matamata galloper Kerry O'Reilly ran on well to finish fourth after racing mid-field while Envoy was 13th.
* Lisa Cropp stood herself down from riding at Paeroa yesterday after feeling unwell but her manager said there were no doubts about her being fit to ride in Saturday's A$3 million ($3.4 million) Cox Plate in Melbourne.
Cropp stood down after riding in race five, complaining of dizziness and dehydration.
Her mount was first past the post in race five but was subsequently relegated to second for interference.
Cropp has been dieting to make the feather weight of 46kg aboard star Australian filly Miss Finland in the Cox Plate.
Goord said Cropp had already left for Melbourne last night and was confident she would make Miss Finland's weight.
