Melbourne Cup ballot exemption up for grabs

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained galloper runs in the Group 3 Archer Stakes (2500m) on Saturday, a race that carries a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3. 

Nearco Frod started his career in France and after three starts, in which he registered two wins, he found himself in Australia with the McEvoys. 

It was a slow beginning for Nearco Frod, but now fully acclimatised the gelding has strung together four wins on the trot from 13 career starts. 

The run started with victory at Sandown on July 1 and was followed by another Sandown win two weeks later. 

Nearco Frod progressed to Flemington to give Blake Shinn a winner at his first ride back following injury on August 1 before again being successful at Sandown on August 22. 

Calvin McEvoy admitted Nearco Frod had been a 'real suprise' to the stable. 

"It just shows that you need to have some patience with these imports and to win five in a row is very difficult for any horse," McEvoy said. 

"He's very fit and we keep him happy at home. 

"He's bouncing around and I can't see any reason why he can't put up another good performance and it would be very exciting for connections to win that Golden Ticket." 

There will be the inevitable comparisons to stablemate Half Yours who raced through the grades to become a Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner last year. 

McEvoy said with European stayers, there is almost a requirement to keep them racing. 

"You have to keep these horses up," McEvoy said. 

"I wouldn't have thought he would get four in a row to be honest. 

"He's not an overly big horse, but he's very fit, great lungs, which allows us to not overtax him in training. 

"That is an asset in a stayer that will get them a long way and it prolong preparations, and if he happened to get a Golden Ticket, of course we would give him the opportunity."