For New Zealand trainer Raymond Connors, the dream of having a Melbourne Cup runner has long simmered in the background — but that vision is now edging closer to reality with his talented stayer Trav.
Connors has already proven himself in the major staying events across the Tasman, guiding Blood Brotha to consecutive victories in the New Zealand Cup in 2011 and 2012 before adding the Wellington Cup in 2013. Earlier this year, Trav delivered another career highlight when he captured the Auckland Cup, completing a remarkable set of Kiwi two-mile triumphs for the stable.
That Group 2 win in March set in motion a plan to target Flemington’s most iconic race. On Tuesday, Trav took the first steps toward that goal, contesting a 1000-metre trial at Foxton as part of his spring preparation.
Although the trip was well short of his best, Connors was satisfied with the performance, noting the gelding’s steady progress as encouraging.
“We are going to give him the opportunity and just see where it takes us. We will try and get him over there (to Australia),” Connors said.
“We’ll give him a couple of runs here in New Zealand first, and then we plan to head to Australia. Hopefully, he’ll be across by early October.”
The key target is the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m), scheduled for October 4 at Flemington. Victory in that race offers a coveted golden ticket — automatic entry into the Melbourne Cup.
As excitement builds toward Trav’s spring campaign, punters can follow his journey and secure early odds through leading Australian betting sites.