Talented High Chaparral gelding Shoot Out has begun preparations to make the 2010 Melbourne Cup final field this Spring Racing Carnival with a promising barrier trial at Doomben today.

The rising stayer trained by John Wallace at the Gold Coast in Queensland travelled to Brisbane and was defeated by The Chanster after he chased the leader down narrowing the margin from six lengths to just two in a gallant 900m open trial today.

Shoot Out will resume racing on July 31 when he contests his final race as a three-year-old, the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

Shoot Out made a name for himself as a horse to watch last April when he secured victory in the Group 1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick.

Champion hoop Stathi Katsidis has been aboard Shoot Out for all of his most recent successes and has again been booked to ride the classy galloper during his spring campaign, with Wallace planning for Shoot Out to run every fortnight from the end of the month.

Katsidis has had nothing but praise for Shoot Out, saying the gelding is one of the best horses he has ridden.

Feature races on the agenda for Shoot Out this spring include the Group 2 JJ Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 14, the Group 2 Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August 28, Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 11, and the Group 1 Yalumba Stakes (2000m) on October 9 leading up to the Cox Plate.

He is now on track to tackle the prestigious races at the Spring Carnival in Melbourne this year, with the time-honoured $6 million Melbourne Cup his primary target. Wallace is also looking at the coveted Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) in October for Shoot Out.

This year marks the 150^th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup, due to run as Race 7 at Flemington on Tuesday November 2, and is set to attract the finest stayers from around the world.

Having won five of his 11 career starts for an impressive $1,364,200 in prize money to date, Shoot Out is sure to be one of the favourites in the Melbourne Cup betting markets at [sportsbet] if he passes the ballot and makes the final field.

A win in the Melbourne Cup will see Shoot Out enter the history books as the first horse since the legendary Phar Lap to win the AJC Derby and the Melbourne Cup as a four-year-old, Phar Lap completing the double in 1929 and 1930.

Nominations for the Melbourne Cup close in August with the final declarations finishing in late October. Check out the full 2010 Melbourne Cup schedule here.

This Spring Carnival don’t bet on the races at the TAB. They have dismal odds and payouts compared to the riches on offer online at [sportsbet]. So if you want to get behind Shoot Out this spring, sign up to [sportsbet] now!