The horse well fancied in the futures Melbourne Cup 2014 betting markets, Gai Waterhouse’s Sydney Cup winner The Offer has run a nice third in their first official trial heading into the spring this morning.

Melbourne Cup 2014 favourite The Offer had their first hit-out in Sydney this week. Photo: Steve Hart.

One of the top liners in Friday’s Royal Randwick trials, Montjeu gelding The Offer produced a great late effort to cross under a length away behind their stable mates Danas Best (1^st) and Bonfire (2^nd).

It was the rising six-year-olds’ first public appearance since rounding out their stellar Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign with a four length romp in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) on April 19.

Before that they won two other Group staying features on the trot putting three and a half lengths on their rivals in the Group 3 NE Manion Cup (2400m) and then two and a half on runner-up Tremec to win the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) on a Heavy (9) track both times.

Throughout their outstanding last prep The Offer was ridden to victory in their hat-trick of wins by Tommy Berry who was also in the saddle for their trial over 1200m this morning.

Berry had the $1.17 million earner positioned at the back of the pack before the dynamic duo made up late ground to move through the field and cross third behind Danas Best who jockey Thomas Huet pushed over the final 50m.

“He was really good,” Berry said after the trial.

“He came through them really strongly when I asked him to.

“At the moment he’s got a bit of a spring in his step which is very encouraging and the most impressive thing is he’s come back bigger and stronger.”

Exact Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival plans for The Offer are still being mapped out however Waterhouse has made no effort to hide she’s after back-to-back wins in the ‘race that stops a nation’.

She celebrated her maiden $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November last year with Fiorente.

Now The Offer is leading the futures Melbourne Cup odds to emulate their stable mate and win the classic for Waterhouse again when this year’s edition runs on November 4.

Latest Melbourne Cup betting markets have The Offer at $15 ahead of two international contenders in the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Hardwicke Stakes winner Telescope ($17) and Tom Dascombe’s Shirocco stallion Brown Panther ($18) who ran eighth in the race last year in their Aussie debut.

There’s a strong chance Waterhouse will take The Offer into the Melbourne Cup field via the $3 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 18.

In Caulfield Cup odds the horse pays $15 as equal second pick in markets led by Kiwi-trained Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance ($13).

As for this morning’s trial winner Danas Best, Waterhouse is sure to find a nice race for them this spring as well.

The Danasinga four-year-old was tested at elite level last year when improving on a seventh in the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) to run ninth when beaten only three lengths behind Seville in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m).

They had just the one run during the autumn when a close first-up fourth to Ecuador over 1400m at Rosehill in mid-February.

“He jumped really well and sat second or third and went to the line really strongly,” their jockey Huet said. “He was good.”

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