Wesley Vale trainer Glenn Stevenson will be relying on just one horse to give him a win at Spreyton on Melbourne Cup Day - and it's not a horse he likes to rely on.
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But, even though veteran galloper Rougeau can be unpredictable, Stevenson expects him to run well in the Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1350m, the main race on a seven-event program starting at 10.45am.
The trainer set Rougeau for a Cup Day win some time ago and even got in early to book Craig Newitt for the ride.
However he had to switch targets after the gelding sustained a stone bruise and missed 10 days' work.
The race that Stevenson had been confident of winning was the other Benchmark 66 over 1650m but, due to the interrupted preparation, he decided Rougeau wasn't quite ready for a step up in distance.
So the gelding will stay at 1350m for his third start in a row.
"I would have been more confident over 1650m but the 1350m will be OK as long as there's a good tempo," the trainer said.
"Gee Gee Wynett is in the field and likes to run along so I'm thinking there will be a genuine pace."
Rougeau takes a strong form-line into the race as his last run was a handy third to Ethical Dilemma and Ocean Essence at the same track and distance.
Ethical Dilemma has won three of his past four starts and Ocean Essence has since won at Mowbray.
Rougeau will most likely be Stevenson's only runner at his home-track meeting.
He also accepted with Kenfromthebar but said the gelding would probably be saved for a lower-class race at Mowbray on Wednesday night.
Stevenson will have four runners in Launceston and is quietly confident of landing a double with Exclusively Ours and Surging Storm.
"Exclusively Ours has improved since her last-start win and Surging Storm will be $1.80 in his race," the trainer said.
"I've also got So White having her first start for me and she's done well at the beach."
Like Exclusively Ours, four-time Victorian winner So White was previously trained by Matthew Brown.
BONUS HELPS RECOVER COST
Last week's Mowbray maiden winner Tough Boy is another success story for the Tasbred Incentive Scheme.
Part-owner Thomas Edwards paid $20,000 for Tough Boy after he had originally been passed-in at the 2018 Launceston Magic Millions sale.
Along with co-owners John Quill and Bob Webb, he recouped nearly $28,000 for the gelding's first win - almost $12,000 in prizemoney and a $16,000 Tasbred bonus.
Edwards said he had specifically been looking to buy a Tasbred-eligible horse and Tough Boy's trainer Adam Trinder had targeted races carrying a bonus.
