From Pakenham to the Cup: The Brownes’ big leap turns golden

Now, the focus is on getting her to the first Tuesday in November in peak condition.

“She’s coming along well. The main thing now is finding the right races for her on the way through. 

We’ve got a bit of a plan – her final lead-up will likely be the Moonee Valley Cup,” says David. “We’ll keep to slightly shorter distances at the start of the campaign, and that’ll probably be her main hit-out before the Melbourne Cup.” 

For the Brownes, just being in the conversation is a dream come true. “I mean, the Melbourne Cup’s huge. Even as a kid in New Zealand, you always knew it was on the Tuesday. Everyone watched it. And then when you’re a bit older, you’re trying to knock off work early so you can get to the pub and catch the race,” says David. “It’s always been that iconic event you dream of having a runner in and now, to actually have one, you do have to pinch yourself.”