Imported stayer Lord Belvedere will be given the opportunity to progress to bigger spring staying races after scoring a stylish mid-winter victory at Flemington.
Having his third Australian start, Lord Belvedere recorded his second win since arriving from England with victory in Saturday’s Harry White Handicap.
Sent off the $3.10 favourite under Ben Melham, Lord Belvedere scored a two length win from stablemate The Statesman ($13) with San Remo ($21) a length away third.
Ciaron Maher, who trains the stayer in partnership with David Eustace, said Lord Belvedere would remain in training and prepared for a spring campaign.
“He came over with a nice rating and he can work his way through the grades,” Maher said.
“That’s only his third run in so he doesn’t need a break now, but he doesn’t need to race every two weeks either.
“He can go month to month to month.”
Lord Belvedere is part-owned by UK-based syndicator Highclere Thoroughbred Racing who have harboured Melbourne Cup aspirations since Distinction contested the race in 2004.
Maher said he would try to plot a course to gaining a start in the Melbourne Cup field for Lord Belvedere.
He said The Cummings, which offers the winner a ballot exemption into the Cup, was a likely target.
“It’s a long way from here to when you start thinking of spring and the 2019 Melbourne Cup,” Maher said.
“But he’s a very natural stayer so we can plot a course and try and sneak him in on the minimum.”
