Mick Price believes VRC St Leger Stakes winner Inkster has the potential for a top five finish in the Melbourne Cup after winning second-up over 2400 metres at Sandown.Price admitted he was surprised Inkster was able to tough out the finish after her only previous run this campaign when eighth over 1700 metres in the Heatherlie Handicap at Caulfield on August 30."I haven't really trained her to win today but she has done it," Price said.He said Inkster, who has now won three of her eight starts,

Mick Price believes VRC St Leger Stakes winner Inkster has the potential for a top five finish in the Melbourne Cup after winning second-up over 2400 metres at Sandown.

Price admitted he was surprised Inkster was able to tough out the finish after her only previous run this campaign when eighth over 1700 metres in the Heatherlie Handicap at Caulfield on August 30.

"I haven't really trained her to win today but she has done it," Price said.

He said Inkster, who has now won three of her eight starts, needed races of at least 2400 metres to produce winning form and he is content with the knowledge that her St Leger dead heat with Moment In Time on Anzac Day qualified her for the Melbourne Cup.

"Hopefully I can get her to run in some better races but the order of entry for the Melbourne Cup will be a problem for her," Price said.

Inkster has 50kg in the Cup and is currently 64th in the elimination order, but Price is hopeful that with natural attrition she can make the final field of 24.

"I can picture her going through in the better staying races, probably not winning, but running well, then getting into Melbourne Cup at Flemington and running in the first five because she is going to chew two miles."

Today Inkster had to contend with just five other runners in the Basha Felika Hcp (2400m) and Nick Mehmet rode her patiently at the tail of the field for the first half of the event.

Inkster worked in to the race from the 1000 metres and in a desperate finish won by a short half head from Chantal Sally with Surfwatch three lengths away third.

Price acknowledged Inkster still needed to improve through the spring, mindful that today she only won a midweek race at Sandown, but Mehmet could not have been happier after later in the day posting his first city double.

The 29-year-old, who is apprenticed to Price and weighs only 47.5kg, brought up the double on Love You Sometime for Bendigo trainer Shane Fliedner in the Kind Link Hcp (1000m).

"I am absolutely rapt," Mehmet said.

"This is what I work for. This is my dream.

"Hopefully I can keep on going and get some light rides, and you never know what could happen."