Trainer Brendan Woodman and his co-owners are chasing the dream of having a Melbourne Cup starter with Completion who will be trying to improve his position in the elimination order with a win in Wednesday's Group Three Geelong Cup.Woodman, who is based at Balnarring on the Mornington Peninsula, paid $60,000 for Completion at a dispersal sale after the Zabeel gelding had run second to Red Lord in the Lavazza Long Black (2800m) on Melbourne Cup day in 2007 and third to Zavite in the 2007 Group Th

Trainer Brendan Woodman and his co-owners are chasing the dream of having a Melbourne Cup starter with Completion who will be trying to improve his position in the elimination order with a win in Wednesday's Group Three Geelong Cup.

Woodman, who is based at Balnarring on the Mornington Peninsula, paid $60,000 for Completion at a dispersal sale after the Zabeel gelding had run second to Red Lord in the Lavazza Long Black (2800m) on Melbourne Cup day in 2007 and third to Zavite in the 2007 Group Three Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2520m), both at Flemington.

"He's had four starts for me and he's improved each time. He just wants distance," Woodman said.

"He's been aimed at this race all along. We are chasing the Melbourne Cup dream with him and it would be great if he could win the Geelong Cup."

Woodman said the horse would need to win the Geelong Cup to warrant paying the $45,375 final Cup declaration fee.

Completion does all his work on a 1200m sand track at the property where Woodman trains two or three horses at a time, and goes to the beach regularly.

Last start Completion ran on well to finish sixth to Light Vision, beaten just over two lengths, in the Listed Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington on October 3.

He has drawn well in barrier two and will be ridden by Daniel Moor who rode him at Flemington.

A win in the $200,000 race over 2406m could earn a Melbourne Cup penalty and increase the gelding's chances of getting into the field.

He is currently fully qualified but is 57th in the elimination order as his weight of 50kg is 9.5kg below weight-for-age.

Third declarations for the big race close on Monday and at this stage all Geelong Cup runners except Stormhill and Zacroona are engaged.

Master trainer Bart Cummings has the chance to win the race for the first time after first emergency Dandaad secured a start with the early scratching of The Sportsman.

The Cummings stable needs another scratching to get second emergency Think Money into the 17-horse field.

Punters have shied away from the international stayers Basaltico and Crime Scene, according to Centrebet's Neil Evans.

The Luca Cumani-trained Basaltico holds favouritism after drifting from $6 to $6.60, while Godolphin's Crime Scene has eased from $5.50 to $7.50.

Evans said there had been backing for Dandaad ($21 to $9), Completion ($34 to $17) and Leica Ding ($15 to $10).

Cumani and jockey Damien Oliver won the race last year with Bauer before he was beaten a nose by Viewed in the Melbourne Cup.

Oliver will be aboard Basaltico and was impressed with the Shantou six-year-old when he rode stablemate Cima De Triomphe in a track gallop alongside him at Sandown last week.

Godolphin representative Dianna Cooper said she was happy with Crime Scene going into the Geelong Cup.

"He is in great order and he does race well fresh," Cooper said.

Cooper said stable headliner Kirklees had recovered well from his seventh in the Caulfield Cup and, all being well, Godolphin would have two starters in the Melbourne Cup.

Crime Scene (21st) is the only Geelong Cup runner safely inside the Melbourne Cup field limit of 24 at present while Basaltico (33rd) also seems well placed to gain a start.