Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde knows how to prepare a horse for a gruelling staying test.
Wilde has bagged two Grand Annual Steeplechases with Gold Medals, regarded as Australia toughest race over 5500m and 33 obstacles.
On Tuesday, Wilde will saddle his first runner in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington when New Zealand-bred mare Tralee Rose faces up to 23 opponents.
While the Melbourne Cup is a different type of staying test to the Grand Annual, Wilde has taken some of his past experiences in getting Gold Medals to the post in his preparation of Tralee Rose.
“When you’ve got an aim and you’re trying to build towards it, that is all you worry about,” Wilde said.
“With Gold Medals and the Grand Annual, that’s what we aimed him at, and all our plans were around that one race.
“And that’s what we’ve done with Tralee Rose and the Cup.
“We have taken a little bit out his book, how we prepared him, prepared him for one race and it’s been a similar approach with her.”
A five-year-old daughter of Tavistock, Tralee Rose has won six of her 15 starts and enters Tuesday’s race off the back of winning the Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 20, a race that has produced previous Cup winners Media Puzzle, Americain and Dunaden.
Wilde said everything had gone to plan after Tralee Rose underwent a clean-up operation after finishing fourth as an odds-on favourite in the Adelaide Cup (3200m) in March.
“She pulled up lame, but she’d had a long preparation,” Wilde said.
“Everything has gone according to plan this time. Her form is going the right way, third, third, second, win and she has got some nice miles into her legs, and it looks like she’s crying out for two miles.”
Wilde has been able to keep his nerves under control despite the realisation of having his first Cup runner less than 48 hours away.
“We’ve enjoyed it,” Wilde said.
“Incentivise is the red-hot favourite. We’re not expected to win, we’re a bit of flukers hope.
“We’re in a good position as we can really enjoy the build-up without the pressure attached, knowing that she is 100 per cent.
“Sometimes you have horses and you’re nursing them in, and you’re worried about this and that, but with her, she’s passed all her vet tests and I can’t fault her.
“I’m not knocking the race, but I think it’s a good year to be having a go and having one that can stick on a bit is certainly a plus.”