Rundle's sleepless night avoided

FACING what shaped as an extremely sleepless night, Tom Rundle breathed a sigh of relief when he checked his phone a few hours ago.

For the past few days Rundle has been in limbo as far as racing plans with his talented youngster Golden Tribe are concerned.

Rundle's dilemma stems from Golden Tribe being the emergency for tomorrow evening's Victoria Derby in Melton, while also being in a South Australia Derby heat 700 kilometres away!

Given the son of Soho Tribeca was the emergency for his local Blue Riband, Rundle couldn't commit to the cross-border trip until 8:30 tomorrow morning.

That would then mean Rundle would have to make a last-minute dash to Globe Derby with Golden Tribe in tow.

"I didn't realise I couldn't scratch him from the Victoria Derby and run him in Adelaide instead," Rundle explained. "So it was a case of wait and see if there is a scratching here, or until he is cleared to race elsewhere tomorrow morning, and getting straight in the car.

"We would have left right on 8:30 and hoped for the best on the road."

Following Cigano's scratching from the Victorian classic, however, Rundle can focus purely on the task at hand.

As such, Golden Tribe will become Rundle's first Group One runner, with the gelding to begin from barrier five.

"It is fair to say he would have had a better chance of winning in South Australia, but I am stoked to have him in the Victoria Derby," Rundle said. "You dream about competing in these races.

"We move into barrier five, which makes it hard, but I will leave that problem up to Cookie (Lochie Cook, driver) to make up his mind on that.

"He pulled up great from his heat and I couldn't be happier with him going into it, and with the right luck, he is capable of pulling off an upset."