Spechenka chasing Cup berth via Randwick

Tuesday 16 October 2012, 4:38pm

Queensland trainer Ben Ahrens will have a final roll of the dice at getting Spechenka to the Melbourne Cup when he brings the stayer to Sydney for a Listed race this weekend.

Ahrens has targeted the Tattersalls Club Cup (2400m) at Randwick as a possible way of getting the stayer up the order of entry for the Melbourne Cup from 45th.

"(Getting to the Melbourne Cup) is still the target," Ahrens said.

"He's just the sort of horse that's looking for the 3200 metres and he doesn't show much these days until he gets to at least 2400 metres.

"The horse will stay all day, he'd probably get 4000 metres if you wanted him to.

"He would have to win on Saturday and hope we incur a penalty if we are going to get him in."

Spechenka, who holds the 2400-metre course record at Randwick from his 2010 Summer Cup victory, is one of eight horses still paid up for the Melbourne Cup that are among the Tattersalls Cup nominations.

Being down the ballot order, Ahrens admits the gelding's chances of a Melbourne Cup berth also hinge on horses falling by the wayside.

"There would need to be a pretty high attrition rate to get into the field," he said.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

Spechenka has won just one race since his 2011 Caloundra Cup victory and that was in the Queen's Cup at Eagle Farm in July over 3200m.

He was in Melbourne to attempt to qualify last year but came up short when well beaten in several lead-up races.

Ryan Wiggins makes the trip to Sydney to take the ride on Saturday.

The seven-year-old has had four starts in Brisbane since a winter let-up.

"On paper his form doesn't look too good," Ahrens said.

"But he's pretty much where we expected him to be.

"His fourth run in was good the other day and the game plan was to get him to 2400 metres without over-racing him this preparation and he's just about right. So I expect him to run well."

– AAP

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