King Charles’ promising stayer Gilded Water is set to take his first step towards the Melbourne Cup when he lines up at Flemington on Saturday.
The lightly raced gelding is one of 11 entries from leading trainer Ciaron Maher for the 2000-metre handicap.
This marks just his second preparation since moving from UK trainer Harry Eustace to Maher.
A strong performance won’t guarantee Cup qualification but could open a path to key lead-up races like the Archer Stakes and Bart Cummings, both over 2500 metres.
Earlier this year, Maher labelled the horse “very, very progressive” after a trio of impressive summer runs.
Gilded Water burst onto the scene in Australia with wins at Kembla Grange and Randwick, before finishing runner-up at Rosehill in January.
His domestic rating has risen to 81, still well short of Cup contention.
“He’s a horse that’s got to get through his grades first and foremost,” Maher said, adding, “we are just very proud and honoured to be able to have a horse for His Majesty.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s Arabian Story ran sixth in the 1997 Melbourne Cup.
