EMISSARY POWERS TO CUP VICTORY

A combination of better ground and a solidly run race saw Emissary at his best in today’s Geelong Cup (Group 3), powering home from second last to score and hopefully earn a place in the Melbourne Cup field.

Settled second-last as Midnight Blue set the pace to the home turn, Blake Shinn was able to get onto the back of British visitor Rodrigo Diaz who gave him a lovely tow into the race around the home turn and when asked to quicken, Emissary let down powerfully to make his run down the centre of the home straight to overwhelm the favourite Surefire and win by one length.

The victory a reward for Ballymore Stable clients by likely booking his ticket into this year's Melbourne Cup. Mike, acting through his brother Paul, agent Armando Duarte and support from prominent owner Rupert Legh, purchased Emissary from the 2020 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale for 350,000 guineas.

"He's a lovely horse and from last spring on we've found ourselves a really good stayer and hopefully he gets to the ultimate," Mike said, referring to the $8 million Melbourne Cup on November 1.

"It was a really good win, we were disappointed with his last run when he finished eighth in the Herbert Power but we put that down to the (Soft) ground mainly.”

"We were starting to wonder if he really stayed, but today he showed he certainly does. We'll head on to the Melbourne Cup now, all going well."

Shinn was complimentary of Emissary after winning his first Geelong Cup but the pair won't continue their association on the first Tuesday in November with Shinn already committed to ride 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow and Declare.

"It was a big win, he showed glimpses of promise and it's nice to get him to produce a personal best today," Shinn said.

"He settled really nicely and that was the main objective to get him to run the 2400 metres. As we've seen in his first-up run winning the Heatherlie he had a great turn of foot over 1700 metres.

"If we could reproduce that same turn of foot over this distance we were in business.

"The race panned out lovely and we got a nice drag into the race from Rodrigo Diaz and he chimed in at the 300. He hadn't been in the race (until then).

"The way the race was run, they went fast early and it allowed him to get into a nice breathing pattern and spend no gas. That gave him the opportunity to run the distance out strongly and show his true form."