Six-year-old gelding Get Up Jude has been sent to the paddocks early to rest up before their spring campaign that connections are hoping will culminate with a start in the 150^th Melbourne Cup on Tuesday November 2.

Trained by Diane Poidevin-Laine at Kembla Grange, Get Up Jude had five testing starts this season, his best performance an eye-catching fifth to Jessicabeel in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) on April 24 at Randwick.

Since his Sydney Cup run over the same two-mile distance as the prestigious Melbourne Cup, Get Up Jude had two more races but was beginning to look tired finishing fifth in the Lord Mayors Cup (2000m) and then second last when beaten by 13 lengths in the WJ McKell Cup (2400m) last Saturday.

The disappointing run in the WJ McKell Cup lead Poidevin-Laine to abandon Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival plans to send Get Up Jude to a well-earned spell instead.

Get Up Jude is an excellent stayer, the son of Res Judicata having won six of their 26 career starts, and will now be saved for the spring where he will be nominated for a number of Cup Carnival races including the Melbourne Cup.

Even though Get Up Jude will miss the group racing in Brisbane, plenty of other turf champions will be making appearances at the Doomben and Eagle Farm meetings, and [iasbet] is the best place to head for all the odds including those for this Saturday’s $650,000 Group 1 Doomben 10,000.