Kiwis vie for Melbourne Cup berth

Before the explosion of horses purchased from Europe in a bid to plunder the staying races on Australian soil, it was the New Zealander's that punters needed to be wary of. 

The Lexus Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday offers a 'win and you're in' ticket into the Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4 and of the 17 horses remaining in Saturday's race, nine are European bred, three are 'Aussies' with five coming out of New Zealand. 

Of those five New Zealand-bred horses, three will race for trainers based in New Zealand, although two of those horses have had a couple of starts in Melbourne this campaign. 

The newcomer is Trav, the Auckland Cup winner from earlier in the year and who is looking to shore up his place in the Melbourne Cup by winning on Saturday. 

Trav is prepared Raymond Connors, a former amateur jumps jockey in New Zealand who rode for Kevin Myers, no stranger on Australian shores. 

"We've come a long way and it's great to be here, but we'll see how we go on Saturday," Connors said at Flemington on Friday morning. 

"We might be going home pretty quick too, but hopefully the horse runs well. 

"It's funny how things evolve over time, from the beginning, to now, it's a bit of a dream." 

Given the nickname Trav as a weanling by Connors' staff who considered him a horse they would be travelling with, the monicker has stuck through his racing career. 

Trav is a winner of six of his 28 starts and the Melbourne Cup became the dream after the gelding won the Auckland Cup in March. 

"He was rising six at the time and we thought we'd give him the opportunity," Connors said. 

"It's always been a dream to get a horse into the Melbourne Cup and none of us are getting any younger, so we thought we might as well give it a go. 

"This horse might not be up to it, but we might not get another chance. He seems to stay the distance. He's run the two miles twice and run it well." 

Connors said being third-up, Trav would improve with Saturday's run and is likely to head to the Geelong Cup on October 22 in a bid to get a second chance at a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup. 

Last year, fellow Kiwi Mark Twain had that ballot exemption for the Melbourne Cup after winning The Roy Higgins at Flemington. 

But a tendon injury put an end to the dreams of trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood and the connections of Mark Twain who sent the horse to Matthew Williams at Warrnambool to go through his rehab. 

"It was a bit gutting having got the 'Golden Ticket' last year through the Roy Higgins and not being able to run in the race," Wellwood said. 

"He's a very sound and healthy horse now and it's nice to be back in a position where we're looking at being a chance of heading down the Melbourne Cup path, but we need to get a couple more runs out of the way first. 

"To win The Bart Cummings, or if we head to the Geelong Cup after this, would also be great, but the Melbourne Cup is always the dream and that's the path he's on. 

"Hopefully he can go a couple of nice races at his next two starts and line-up on the first Tuesday in November in good order."