Trainer Chris Waller has scratched Melbourne Cup hopeful Patrick Erin from today’s Group 3 $350,000 Jayco Bendigo Cup (2400m) at Bendigo.
Patrick Erin, above in black and white and purple colours, has been scratched from the Bendigo Cup at Bendigo. Photo by Steve Hart.
Waller scratched Patrick Erin from last Saturday’s Group 2 $500,000 McCafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) at The Valley because of a wide barrier but the former New Zealand trained stayer ended up with gate thirteen of fifteen in the Bendigo Cup.
Patrick Erin is currently number 38 in the order of entry for the Group 1 $7.3m Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington next Tuesday and needs a win to sneak into the final twenty-four horse field of the Melbourne Cup.
Waller has Patrick Erin entered in the Group 3 $300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday and a win in that race will make the seven year exempt from the ballot for the Melbourne Cup and guarantee him a start in the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’.
The former New Zealand trained stayer is currently weighted with 52kg for the Melbourne Cup which includes a 2kg penalty for winning the Group 1 $750,000 The Heineken 3 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on September 29.
“In my opinion he is a two mile horse but he obviously hit form when winning the Group 1 Metropolitan last start,” Waller said.
Patrick Erin was the $6 second pick for the Bendigo Cup when he was withdrawn while the Darren Weir trained Furrion remains the short priced $2.10 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Dal Harraild at $4.20 and Lord Fandango at $5.50.
Jye McNeil rides the lightly weighed Furrion (barrier 9) who worked his way up through the grades with a hat trick of wins before a last start third as the $1.80 favourite to Octabello in the Listed $350,000 Cranbourne Cup (2025m) at Cranbourne on October 14.
The Tony McEvoy trained Sasko has also been withdrawn from the Bendigo Cup, leaving a field of thirteen to go around.
Patrick Erin is marked as a $201 chance in the 2018 Melbourne Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au.
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