PRINCE Of Penzance kept alive his hopes of getting a Melbourne Cup start by landing the money in the group 2 $250,000 Moonee Valley Gold Cup, 2500m, on Saturday.
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His first success since February means the five-year-old has passed the ballot clause for the Melbourne Cup.
However, he remains a long shot to make the field for the first Tuesday in November.
How far he rises up the ballot order will depend on what penalty he gets on Monday to add to his Cup weight of 50.5kg.
"Technically to get into the 24 at this stage he would need to receive a 3.5kg penalty," Racing Victoria racing general manager Greg Carpenter told RV.
"Before today he hadn't passed the ballot.
"Without a penalty it takes him to around number 41 in the Melbourne Cup order of entry."
Ballarat trainer Darren Weir said while they would consider a Melbourne Cup start in the unlikely event the horse made the field, the probable next target loomed as the group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, 2600m, at Flemington on November 8.
"He'd run the trip (3200m) I don't think that's a problem," Weir said.
Michelle Payne was at her best to get Prince Of Penzance ($10).
She settled him last with the pace generous and then overcame momentarily being denied a passage through the pack to go away by more than a length from Le Roi ($8), with Au Revoir ($4.80) third.
This gives Prince Of Penzance six wins in 16 starts for $440,000.
Weir's other Melbourne Cup entry Black Tycoon again failed to flatter.
Black Tycoon raced up on the pace outsider the leader, but dropped out to be the last one home.
The former WA stayer is inside the Melbourne Cup cut-off line, but connections will need to determine whether he is doing enough to press on.
Prince Of Penzance's win gave Weir plenty to smile about the day begin on a disappointing note with two-time group 1 winner Trust In A Gust having to be scratched from the group 2 Crystal Mile.
Weir told Radio Sport National on Saturday morning Trust In A Gust appeared to be lame in a race morning inspection at his Ballarat stables.
"It is unfortunate, but it will take only a couple of days to get over it and it won't interrupt his spring program too much," he said.
Weir is aiming Trust In A Gust at the group 1 $1m Emirates Stakes, 1600m, at Flemington on November 8.
"It's just a little hiccup, he went for a trot and he wasn't trotting up properly," Weir said.