Luck and hope are vital ingredients in racing and connections of Cape Breton need a little bit of both to realise their dream of having a Melbourne Cup runner.The gelding was one of 42 horses still in the mix for Australia's most famous race when third declarations were released on Monday.The Queensland Cup winner is well down the order of entry and needs to win the Lexus Quality (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday to book a spot in Tuesday's field.But with competition for the final places still f

Luck and hope are vital ingredients in racing and connections of Cape Breton need a little bit of both to realise their dream of having a Melbourne Cup runner.

The gelding was one of 42 horses still in the mix for Australia's most famous race when third declarations were released on Monday.

The Queensland Cup winner is well down the order of entry and needs to win the Lexus Quality (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday to book a spot in Tuesday's field.

But with competition for the final places still fierce and a guaranteed start in Australia's most famous race for the Lexus winner, Cape Breton's trainer Danny Williams is sweating on his charge getting a chance to roll the dice.

Cape Breton is one of 32 nominations for Saturday's Group Three staying feature, 17 of those still in the Melbourne Cup, the bulk of them needing a victory to force their way into Tuesday's field.

With Cape Breton not even assured of a start in the Lexus, Williams has been forced to keep all options open.

"He's unlikely to get a run in the Melbourne Cup as it stands...I think he's too far down the order of entry," Williams said.

"If we want to run in the Melbourne Cup then he needs to win on Saturday at Flemington in the Lexus.

"If things don't go to plan and he doesn't get to Melbourne he will run on Saturday at Rosehill.

"He's also entered for the 2800 metre race (Lavazza Long Black) on Cup day."

Runner-up in the Queensland Derby as a three-year-old, Cape Breton is proven over the 3200 metre Melbourne Cup distance having won the Queensland Cup at Eagle Farm in June.

Williams said the gelding ran out of condition when he jumped from 1600 to 2400 metres in the Metropolitan Handicap two starts ago and failed to beat a runner home.

He showed a glimpse of his best last start when an unlucky sixth to Bid Spotter in the City Tattersall's Cup (2400m) at Randwick and top Melbourne jockey Craig Newitt has been booked for the Lexus mount.

Williams trains a small team at Goulburn, about two hours south of Sydney, and says while all the cards have to fall his way for Cape Breton to line up in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, it is a buzz to still have a horse in the mix a week before the great race.

"This is the only horse we've entered and for us - we're not a big stable, we've only got 10 or a dozen in work at any one time - it's a big thrill," he said.

"Who wouldn't want a Melbourne Cup runner?

"Even if you feel you haven't got a chance in it, anything can happen.

"Look at that speed skater (Steven Bradbury). He was last and they all fell and he got there and won gold."