Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have not given up on the hope of starting three-year-old Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
But first there is the Gr. 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday before any decision is made about the Cup.
Forgot You was the only three-year-old entered for this year’s Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 2.
No three-year-old has run in the Cup since Arena (Danehill) finished 15th to Jezabeel (NZ) (Zabeel) in 1998 while Nothin’ Leica Dane (Danehill) won the 1995 Derby before backing up three days later in the Cup to finish second behind Doriemus (NZ) (Norman Pentaquad).
The last Cup winner from a southern hemisphere-bred three-year-old was Skipton (Marabou) in 1941 while two northern hemisphere-bred, and trained, three-year-olds, Rekindling (High Chaparral) (2017) and Cross Counter (Teofilo) (2018) have won the Cup.
Last week Forgot You underwent the required scans to accept for the Melbourne Cup before going onto win the Gr.2 Drummond Golf Vase (2040m) at The Valley on Saturday.
The last winner of The Vase – Derby double was Efficient (NZ) (Zabeel) in 2006.
Forgot You had to dig deep to run down stablemate Commander Harry (NZ) (Reliable Man) on Saturday who also put his hand up for a Derby start with his narrow second.
“It was a little bit of a different week for Forgot You,” Young said.
“We had to take him to Werribee (for his scans) on Monday and then we galloped him on Tuesday, so he missed out on his beach trip this week, but it has paid off.
“He always leaves us with our hearts in our mouths, but it is good to have two live Derby contenders.”
Young said Commander Harry, who is a close relation to last year’s Derby winner Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock), deserved his shot at the race after being run down late by the stablemate.
Forgot You heads the market for the Derby with TAB at $3.50 and is a $51 chance in Melbourne Cup betting while Commander Harry is a $17 chance for Saturday’s Derby contest.