A lesson learned 12 months earlier could reap rewards for trainer Joe Pride on Melbourne Cup Day at Randwick when Estadio Mestalla lines up in the Little Dance.
The mile race is the understudy to the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) on the same program but with a total prizemoney purse of $750,000, is lucrative in its own right.
Last year, the Pride-trained King Of The Castle finished fourth in the main race and this time around, he is content to have Estadio Mestalla chasing the smaller prize.
“I wish I’d done this with King Of The Castle last year,” Pride said.
“He was qualified for the Little Dance and then he went and won the final lead-up and got put in the Big Dance and he ran fourth.
“I reckon he would have won the Little Dance and the Little Dance is worth $430,000 to the winner.
“I really want this one. I just think it’s the perfect race for this horse.”
Estadio Mestalla qualified for Tuesday’s Cup Day feature with a runner-up finish behind last year’s Big Dance second placegetter Cepheus in the South Grafton Cup (1610m) in July.
The six-year-old has been building nicely at his past two runs, doing his best work late when midfield behind Ostraka over 1200m and again when fourth to Willaidow over 1400m, both at Randwick last month.
He is winner over a mile and Pride says he cannot fault the horse’s preparation.
“Estadio Mestalla has done everything I have wanted to see him do going towards this. He is really well placed,” he said.
Estadio Mestalla has drawn barrier five with Josh Parr to ride.
The Little Dance boasts a capacity field of 20 plus four emergencies with the Chris Waller-trained Waterford a $4.20 betting app favourite ahead of Estadio Mestalla at $4.80.
