George Boughey believes the step up in trip in the Lexus Melbourne Cup will play to the strengths of Hopewell Rock, who continued his preparations for his trip to Australia with a racecourse gallop at Newmarket on Wednesday.
The Classic-winning trainer put the New Bay gelding, who was last sighted finishing second in the Sky Bet Ebor at York, through his paces on the Rowley Mile as part of his build-up towards an outing in the race that stops a nation at Flemington on November 3.
After watching the exercise, the Newmarket handler felt that the Wathnan Racing-owned four-year-old was "exactly where we want him" before he heads into quarantine on Saturday.
Boughey said: “We brought him here for a reason as he has not run since the Ebor. We just wanted to get him on some nice fresh grass. He is exactly where we want him. He will go straight to the Melbourne Cup. The locals out there would be giving him a run around before. He could have gone to the Caulfield Cup, but I wanted to run in the Melbourne Cup first up.
“I think we can have him A1 for the race and I would rather he was here for a little bit longer. I think the trip will be to his benefit really. In kind of an Australian way I wanted to hold on to his trip for a little bit longer and not run him over two miles until we go for the big day.
"He has always presented to us as a horse that will stay well, and he is relaxing in his races now."
Things failed to go to plan on track last season for Hopewell Rock, who at the beginning of the 2025 campaign had been touted as a potential Betfred Derby candidate.
However, Boughey is pleased to see his patience now starting to pay off with the three-time race winner.
He added: “He was working very well last spring, but he had two infected teeth and they had to be removed. He then had a sinus infection and it was one thing after another throughout the summer.
“His work in the spring had suggested that he should have been going to a Derby trial. He is finally maturing into what we thought he could have been last year.”
And a familiar face from this summer could be on board Hopewell Rock with leading Australian jockey Zac Lloyd, who steered Moonfall to Royal Ascot glory in the Britannia at Royal Ascot for Boughey, potentially in line for the ride.
He added “Zac came over to us to ride at Royal Ascot. He is going to have a light enough weight, but we will see closer to the race. It would be great to have Zac as I’ve been chatting to him recently about it. I think he has the profile of a horse that any jockey would want to ride and he has slightly slipped under the radar a little bit at the moment."
Survie set for Breeders' bid
Joining Hopewell Rock in the exercise on the Rowley Mile was Survie, who will jet back out to America for a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Turf on October 31.
After bagging Grade Two glory over a mile and a half in the Glen Falls Stakes at Saratoga, the daughter of Churchill backed that success up over course and distance in the Grade One Christophe Clement Turf Stakes.
Although things failed to workout back on European turf in the Qatar Prix Vermeille at Longchamp earlier this month, Boughey believes a line can be drawn through that run and that she can show her best again back on American soil.
He added: “Survie is very fresh and well. She will now go to the Breeders’ Cup. We are just taking the edge of her at the moment as we are still a good few weeks away before she goes.
“She will probably go for an away day around a tighter bend on the all-weather somewhere. She obviously showed a real liking to racing in America. She is a slightly neater model, but she stays well. I’d be thrilled with her.
“Unfortunately, her saddle slipped in the Vermeille so Ryan (Moore) basically couldn’t take her off the bridle. When he went to challenge the race was over, but she came back as fresh as paint.
“I think the style of racing suits her in America. She has always worked like a miler, but we knew when she came to us that she stays a mile and a half.
"I think that the French style of racing where they sit and sprint suits her. The Americans couldn’t believe she was able to quicken off such a slow pace both times, but it wasn’t a massive surprise to us. She showed that turn off foot to be more potent over twelve furlongs so I think the Turf is the race, but she will probably have an entry in the Filly & Mare Turf as well."
And while Survie is already worth plenty as a potential broodmare, Boughey admits that America is far from certain to be her swansong on the track.
He added: “She is worth a lot of money, but she was bought to be a racehorse. Michael and Doreen (Tabor) are huge racing enthusiasts, and they could have sent her to stud when they got her.
“She is a Grade One winner and there is a lot of money to race for around the world. There is Hong Kong and Japan possibly afterwards so who knows."
One horse that will not be seen until next year is unbeaten filly Evenfall, who is likely to be aimed at a 1000 Guineas trial in the spring on her return to action.
Boughey added: “We were going to have a look at something better for her, but she has been put away for the year. I went to see her yesterday and she has done so well just for being out for a week.
“She is the sort of filly that will come back for something like a Fred Darling or a Nell Gwyn. I was treading on eggshells all year with her as she was so weak, but she is a good animal for next year."
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