Geelong Cup preview: Ebor form on show as European trio seek Melbourne Cup spot

6.00 Geelong, Wednesday
Bet365 Geelong Cup | Group 3 Handicap (Turf) | 1m4f | 3yo+

The Sky Bet Ebor form could be well advertised in this Group 3 handicap with runner-up Red Galileo, sixth True Self and eighth Prince Of Arran seeking to boost their chances of making the cut for the Lexus Melbourne Cup on November 5.

Red Galileo, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, produced a joint career-best Racing Post Rating when second to Mustajeer in the £1 million handicap at York but sits 43rd in the order of entry for the Flemington showstopper next month.

Watch this season's Ebor Handicap at York

Pat Cosgrave’s mount requires victory and a significant penalty to have a chance of sneaking in 'the race that stops a nation'.

Bin Suroor said: “He ran a great race in the Ebor and has done really well since arriving in Australia. I’m happy with him and hope the race will suit him in order to get him in the Melbourne Cup.”

True Self: talented dual-purpose mare trained by Willie MullinsCredit: Harry Trump

Punchestown festival-winning hurdler True Self has translated her jumps form to the Flat particularly well, winning three Listed races and finishing three lengths behind Mustajeer in August.

The Willie Mullins-trained mare is 39th in the Melbourne Cup entry order – a race with a maximum field size of 24.

David Casey, assistant to Mullins, said: “She’s taken the trip well and settled in nicely. We’ve stepped up her work gradually and she’s into the routine.

“We’re hopeful she can run a big race as the horses that finished around her in the Ebor have run well over here.”

One of those Ebor runners to have been in action already in Australia is Prince Of Arran, a close second in the Ladbrokes Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield ten days ago.

Charlie Fellowes’s globetrotter, drawn in the outside stall, is 36th in the Melbourne Cup entry list but victory would assure connections of a start.

Charlie Fellowes: hoping Prince Of Arran can secure his Melbourne Cup spot with victory in the Geelong CupCredit: Vince Caligiuri (Getty Images)

Natasha Eaton, travelling head groom for Fellowes, said: “He came out of the Herbert Power really well, ate up straight away and is a happy horse.

“He moved beautifully when he was back out at Werribee last week and his recent run will have put him spot on for this.”

The 11 runners in the A$365,000 (£193,925/€224,367) race are British, Irish or French-bred and include last year’s Ebor winner Muntahaa and Dal Harraild, a dual Listed winner when trained by William Haggas.

Read exclusive previews from 6pm daily on racingpost.com and the Racing Post mobile app