"The luckiest horse wins the Derby"-this maxim had circulated in Japanese racing for years, largely because early Derby fields had been so enormous they could even be called bloated.
Australia's Melbourne Cup, meanwhile, was not only a handicap race, but also allowed up to twenty-four runners, a rarity among modern Grade 1 races.
With a full field in this year's Melbourne Cup, the team had drawn a relatively central gate: number fifteen, which would unquestionably have counted as a far outside draw in most races in Japan, Europe, or the United States.
Considering that the Melbourne Cup was a long-distance race over two miles, the draw and even the break from the gates mattered somewhat less.
Of course, if possible, they still hoped Traveler would maintain the consistency she had shown in previous races and get away cleanly in the Melbourne Cup.
"This next race is one we need to run up front."
Both the owner and the jockey agreed with this instruction from trainer Ikee.
Besides having to carry the highest weight in the field, Traveler was herself a horse who needed to race near the front.
When a race settled into a slow pace, she did not have an overwhelming finishing kick that could bring every opponent within reach.
If you wanted to win, get up front. Although this was a basic maxim of racing, it also came with the risk of a crushing defeat.
The outlook for the Melbourne Cup was slightly different from the Spring Emperor's Prize earlier that year, when Mejiro Traveler had clearly been the overwhelming favorite.
Apparently, back in Japan, Traveler had received overwhelming support at win odds of 1.1 after passing her pre-race veterinary examination and securing her place in the Melbourne Cup.
However, beyond the inherent uncertainty of an overseas campaign,