Kav and Rodd combine

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Jockey Michael Rodd and trainer Mark Kavanagh continued their great Cup Week run when they combined to win race three, the $100,000 Melbourne Cup Community Fund Handicap (2000 metres) on Emirates Stakes Day at Flemington.

It was the pair's third win together for the week, Rodd's fifth personally and Kavanagh's fourth including of course the Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Rodd said after the race he knew he was on the best horse in the race and made sure he was close enough in the run.

"I didn't want to get too far out of his ground like he normally does, being a small field with not much pace. I was able to travel up a little bit closer but Ollie (Damien Oliver) put the brakes on around the 1200 and slackened things off a bit which wasn't ideal. I didn't want it to be too much of a sprint home because he had 58 (kgs) but I was able to work my way into the clear," Rodd said.

Kavanagh hinted that he may back Raffaello up in next week's $350,000 Sandown Classic over 2400 metres.

"He's a 2000 metre horse at this stage - maybe 2400 next week, who knows?" "We'll see how he does over the weekend but it's only a week before that. I haven't over-raced him, I've spaced his races well this preparation so that might bring him on, we'll wait and see," Kavanagh said.

Raffaello started $4 equal favourite and scored by one and a quarter lengths from $11 stablemate Itstheone (Kerrin McEvoy) with My Bentley (Corey Brown) a nose away third. Equal favourite Timetable looked the winner at the 400 metre mark but weakened to finish fourth.

In the fourth race, the $151,000 Hilton Stakes (1400 metres), the $2.20 favourite Governance (Kerrin McEvoy) found plenty of trouble in the run before going down by a nose and a half head in a three-way photo finish. The winner was $31 chance It'llbefantastic which gave jockey Glen Boss his first win for Cup Week and provided a career best result for Cranbourne trainer Dean Howard. $4.80 chance Silver Spur split the pair.