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| Staff Writer |
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Mostly Cloudy is set to line up in Saturday's Gr.3 Archer Stakes at Flemington, with connections eyeing a coveted ballot exemption for the Melbourne Cup. The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained gelding will be looking to replicate his success from last year's corresponding meeting, albeit in a race with higher stakes this time around.
The 6YO son of Pierro scored a comfortable two-length victory over 2500m at this fixture 12 months ago, but that win didn't provide the golden ticket to 'the race that stops a nation'. This year, however, the Archer Stakes winner will secure a spot in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 5.
Busuttin reflected on their previous attempts: "He doesn't know how to run a bad race, but he doesn't win that often which is frustrating. He deserves to win a race, but he's not the easiest horse to ride in a race."
The Archer Stakes has been moved from its traditional Victoria Derby Day slot, offering connections an earlier opportunity to punch their Melbourne Cup ticket. This change could prove pivotal for Mostly Cloudy, who fell short in two attempts last year, finishing fourth in The Bart Cummings and fifth in the Archer Stakes.
Mostly Cloudy's affinity for Flemington has been evident in his near-misses this year. A third-place finish in the Roy Higgins Quality (2600m) in March was followed by a closing second to The Map in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) in May.
The gelding enters Saturday's contest off the back of a fourth-place finish over 2000m at Caulfield on August 31, following a winter spell in Queensland. Busuttin remains optimistic about his charge's chances: "He'll get luck some day or other, hopefully it's Saturday and then all the pressure will be off."
The Archer Stakes has a rich history of producing high-class stayers. Notable recent winners include Realm Of Flowers (2021), who went on to place in the Sydney Cup, and Steel Prince (2019), who secured his Melbourne Cup berth with victory in this race before finishing ninth in the big one.
As Mostly Cloudy prepares for his latest Cup qualifier attempt, connections will be hoping he can finally break through and join the illustrious list of Archer Stakes winners who have gone on to compete on the first Tuesday in November.