Goldman, Youth Spirit chase Melbourne Cup berth in Roy Higgins Quality

Goldman is the early favourite for the Roy Higgins Quality at Flemington on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott could boast the top two runners in Melbourne Cup betting after the qualifying $500,000 Listed Roy Higgins at Flemington on Saturday.

Racing Victoria boosted the Roy Higgins in prizemoney and status recently to make the 2600m feature the first of six Cup qualifiers in Melbourne.

The five other ballot exempt races are The Andrew Ramsden (May 13), The Bart Cummings (October 7), Caulfield Cup (October 21), Cox Plate (October 28) and Hotham Stakes (November 4).

Lightly-raced New Zealand import Goldman, who has trounced inferior opposition by five lengths apiece in two Australian starts, is a $2.80 favourite with TAB to win the Roy Higgins.

"Off the strength of his (Goldman) most recent win we thought it is worthwhile to give him an opportunity to see if he can get a ticket into the Melbourne Cup," Bott said.

"He's probably got to this grade quicker than anticipated or intended but with the conditions (Melbourne Cup entry) with a horse in form, and going the right way, we didn't think we should deny him his chance.

"Nothing will be lost if it all comes a bit too soon for him … he's up against some well-credentialed stayers and seasoned opposition, so it's not easy."

Co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are aiming to get Goldman or Youth Spirit into the Melbourne Cup via the Roy Higgins Quality. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Youth Spirit, the second of the Waterhouse-Bott runners in the 10-horse field, has been trained to peak fourth-up on Saturday at Flemington.

"This is the race he's been set for, a bit more of a targeted campaign," Bott said.

"He's got the right bloodlines and profile to be very effective in that race and trip. There's certainly a strong case for him."

So Unusual, prepared by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, has won four on the bounce including a last start win over Youth Spirit, to go into the Roy Higgins as a $4.60 second favourite, just ahead of Chris Waller-trained $5 chance Soulcombe.

Kind results in Sydney on Saturday, Knights Order and Sir Lucan up against reigning Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes, would strengthen the Waterhouse-Bott squad aimed at the first Tuesday in November.

Goldman and Youth Spirit are $26 and $101 respectively in TAB's pre-nominations Melbourne Cup market, currently led by $11 favourite and stablemate White Marlin.

White Marlin will aim to qualify for the Cup through The Andrew Ramsden.

"We definitely got a nice profile of stayers around us … with the Melbourne Cup a race we'd love to win, it's a dream of many, many owners as well," Bott said.

"If they're (stayers) able to progress into a Melbourne Cup type of horse and qualify themselves, that's certainly an end goal and target I'm sure everyone would love to have."