By Bren O'Brien
A second consecutive appearance in the G1 Melbourne Cup for Steel Prince (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) lies in the hands of Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter after the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained stayer proved superior to his rivals in the Bet365 Geelong Cup (2400 metres) on Wednesday.
Steel Prince led home a Freedman quinella in the race, outpointing stablemate Le Don De Vie (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) late to claim the $400,000 race and put himself in line for a weight penalty for next month's Melbourne Cup.
The 7-year-old sits 35th on the Order Of Entry for the Melbourne Cup as things currently stand, with a 1kg penalty enough to all but ensure Steel Prince gets into the field of 24. Carpenter is set to announce a penalty, if any, on Thursday.
Jye McNeil's ride on Steel Prince proved the difference between the two stablemates, with Steel Prince given the ideal run just off the pace set by Le Don De Vie.
Steel Prince was produced on the turn and while he took most of the straight to get the better of Le Don De Vie, he had 0.2l in his favour on the line.
Sam Freedman was rapt with how both the experienced Steel Prince and the recent stable acquisition Le Don De Vie performed.
"They were both really good. Hopefully he'll (Steel Prince) get a penalty to get into the Melbourne Cup and he wouldn't shirk the task," he said.
"They're both nice horses. Credit to the winner, he's incredible. He's obviously been around a while and he keeps turning up and I said to Jye that if you're right there at the top of the straight he's a horse that loves a dog fight and he was too strong today.
"He loves a dog fight. He gets a bit lost when he goes clear of a field so when they come up alongside of him he really knuckles down. I knew that when he got near the lead he'd definitely be fighting it out. He's right."
"He loves a dog fight. He gets a bit lost when he goes clear of a field so when they come up alongside of him he really knuckles down." - Sam Freedman
Freedman was full of praise for how McNeil handled the horse in what was just his second ride aboard him.
"He's riding at the top of his game at the moment and he's gone well with this horse. He's ridden him really nicely in previous starts," he said.
McNeil was impressed with he way Steel Prince stuck to his task through the latter part of the race.
"I thought he was pretty tough then. I was in a position that I thought I was going to be a little bit wide the first time leaving the straight, but it all worked out pretty good and his performance was great," he said.
Sam Freedman, Steel Prince (Ire) and Rebecca Smith
Steel Prince finished ninth in last year's Melbourne Cup, beaten just over 2l, having qualified by winning the Listed Andrew Ramsden S. earlier in the year.
His participation this year might go down to the wire, especially if Carpenter gives him less than that 1kg impost, which would lift him to 53.5kg for the $8 million handicap on November 3.
"Steel Prince has probably earnt himself another shot at it, the owners have been really patient with him. They haven't pushed us to get him into the Melbourne Cup. We've looked after the horse first and we'll see how he comes through it. That'll be the plan at this stage," Freedman said.
G2 Adelaide Cup winner King Of Leogrance (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) was very good closing along the inside for third, 1.45l off the winner, and with 53.5kg, looks certain to get inside the Melbourne Cup field.
It was an ideal preparation run, with jockey Damian Lane feeling there was considerable improvement to come.
"He probably just might've peaked on his run second-up at the 2400 metres. He improved first-up and hopefully he improves again off that," he said.
The Andreas Wohler-trained Ashrun (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) closed off well for fourth in an excellent debut run in Australia. With 53kg, his hopes of making the final Melbourne Cup field hang in the balance.
