A change of approach has presented Lib Petagna with a shot at Australasia’s top staying prize.
The Wellington-based bloodstock identity shares in the ownership of the Kris Lees-trained Kalapour, who won his way into Tuesday’s Gr.1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington with victory in the Gr.3 Archer Stakes (2500m).
The Irish-bred stayer will drop 6kg from Saturday to a luxurious 50kg with apprentice Zac Lloyd to ride the lightly raced son of War Command.
Kalapour came on the radar of Lees and bloodstock agent Justin Bahen after a middle-distance success in Ireland and minor placings from his other three starts.
“He showed some promise in the UK so Kris and Justin bought him,” Petagna said.
“I don’t usually go into these European stayers, but they were pretty positive about him so I thought why not and took a share and lucky enough to have pulled the right rein.”
The gelding is a half-brother to the stakes winner Kalaxana with their dam the Daylami mare Kaladena, a half-sister to the dual Group One winner and sire Kalanisi.
Kalapour was successful at Hawkesbury in his Australian debut in the autumn and progressed to win the Gr.3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) and finish third in the Gr.3 Premier’s Cup (2400m) during the Queensland winter carnival.
Following a break, the seven-year-old placed in the Gr.1 The Metropolitan (2400m) and the Gr.3 St Leger before he claimed his Cup spot with a front-running victory at Flemington in the Archer.
“Kris has done a terrific job with him and he’s a very honest horse,” Petagna said.
“I don’t know whether he’s got the class of some of the others in the field, but he will give it everything and that’s half the battle with the stayers.”
Kalapour will be Petagna’s second Cup runner after multiple top-flight winner Lucia Valentina finished midfield behind Protectionist in 2014.
“She didn’t really stay the trip, she wasn’t quite up to it,” he said.
He will also be represented on Tuesday by the Andrew Forsman-prepared Aprilia in the Listed Howden Desirable Stakes (1400m).
“She was a bit disappointing last time out so it’s hard to know how she’ll go, it might have been the firm track,” Petagna said.
“She is Group Two-placed over there so we’d like to think with the drop in class she might be right in it.”
Runner-up in last season’s Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), the U S Navy Flag filly finished second in the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) before she was unplaced in the Gr.2 Fillies’ Classic (1600m).