Emissary will not be racing at Flemington on Saturday, but the Geelong Cup winner’s owners will be sweating on the result of one race in particular almost as intently as if he was engaged in it.
The Mike Moroney-trained import was left as the 24th ranked horse in the order of entry to next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup after 34 horses were paid-up for as fourth round acceptors on Monday.
As it stands, the import is guaranteed a start in the $8 million Melbourne Cup, but if one of the horses ranked below him wins the 2500-metre Group 3 Archer Stakes they will jump above him.
The Archer Stakes, formerly known as the Hotham Handicap, is a last-gasp qualifier for the Melbourne Cup with winner issued a ballot exemption.
All but one of the 10 horses situated below Emissary on the order of entry are among the 23 Archer Stakes entries and would put Emissary’s chances of a start in Australia’s most famous race at risk should they win.
Realm Of Flowers, Interpretation, Makram and King Of The Castle are ranked 25 to 28 respectively, while the five horses who are yet to pass the first ballot clause – Serpentine, Chapada, Harmysian, High Emocean and Schabau – and also entered.
Alegron (14) and Crystal Pegasus (22) are the horses already guaranteed a run in the Melbourne Cup that are among the entries for Saturday’s race.
Smokin’ Romans, the beaten favourite in the Caulfield Cup, is now guaranteed a Melbourne Cup start after jumping to 23 in the order of entry following the decision of connections of 13 horses not to pay up as fourth round acceptors.
Among them were last year’s Archer Stakes winner Great House, The Metropolitan runner-up Le Don De Vie, Persan, who also contested last year’s race, and Inspirational Girl.
