You Are Ramsay’s dream horse

The Warwick Farm horseman is an excitable character who is one of Australia's most popular trainers, largely due to his unpredictable celebrations after feature victories.

There would be no such unpredictability around the reaction of So You Are's owner Stuart Ramsay.

Expect tears, and plenty of them, if the son of So You Think wins the $10 million Group 1.

Ramsay broke down when informed So You Are had the made the Melbourne Cup field following the 1kg penalty he received for winning last Wednesday's Bendigo Cup and Ramsay said he would be racing in honour of his late father John on Tuesday.

"My father, he always had the Melbourne Cup winner on the next year's calendar. He loved it," Ramsay said when asked why it meant so much to have a runner.

"He's been dead 40 years, so it's taken me a while to work on it for him.

"Hopefully we can win it."

Ramsay's colours are no stranger to the Flemington winners stall during Cup Week with Sky Cuddle and Ancient Song among his Group 1 winners, while his other success stories as a breeder include Australian Guineas winner Mr Murphy and Hong Kong champion Able Friend.

There'd be a touch of irony if So You Are became his greatest success story as an owner given it was not intention to race him.

He was offered for sale at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but failed to reach the $100,000 reserve Ramsay put on him.

"We didn't get a bid for him and we only race the rejects," Ramsay said.

"But, this horse, there's something about him. He gallops good, he gets his head down, the air goes straight into those big lungs of his and he can keep going."

So You Are has done that his past four starts with his Bendigo Cup win preceded by wins in the Group 3 Sydney St Leger (2600m), Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) and Listed Tatts Cup (2400m).

His only other start for Baker was a second placing in the Group 3 Premier's Cup (2000m) at Randwick on August 22, which was his first start since being transferred from Stirling Osland, who had So You Are for his first 23 starts.

Among So You Are's runs for Osland was a second placing to now-stablemate Thebudgiesmugla in the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m), a race that features in the form of the past two Melbourne Cup winners, Knight's Choice and Half Yours.

So You Are is the only runner from this year's Caloundra Cup engaged in Tuesday's big race.

He came up with barrier seven at Saturday night's barrier draw, which Ramsay said pleased his trainer and jockey, Rachel King.

"He wanted four to seven, I wanted two, but two had already gone," Ramsay said.

"There were only five and seven to go when he was draw out and I got one of them so all good.

"He might get beat, but I tell you what, he'll be there for a long, long way and it's just wonderful to have a starter."

So You Are is one of four horses in this year's Melbourne Cup who were bred in Australia, along with Knight's Choice, Strictly Business and Zakouma.

Viewed (23008), Shocking (2009) and Vow And Declare (2019) were the only Australian-bred winners of the race in the first 24 editions this century but Australian breeders are chasing a hat-trick of wins following victories to Knight's Choice and Half Yours.