Schoolmates to converge on Flemington

That ride heads to the Crown Oaks meeting at Flemington on Thursday when Blazing Sword runs in the $500,000 Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final (1600m). 

Fitzsimmons parted with $19,000 to purchase Blazing Sword after seven starts in NSW for Annabel and Rob Archibald with the intention of racing the gelding himself. 

In 19 starts for his new trainer, Blazing Sword has collected five wins, three seconds and three thirds and his prize money has now reached almost $175,000. 

"I wanted to keep him myself, but the bloke who does my website, he said, 'I'll sell some of the horse," Fitzsimmons said. 

"He rings me up one day and said, 'I can sell nearly all of this'. I said how much is left and he said, '17 per cent.' 

"I said stop selling, but it's been good because a lot of the owners in him are old schoolmates and it's taken them on a ride.

"They all went to Albury when he ran third in the Cup, and they carried on like it had won, and they all went to Corowa when it won the Corowa Cup. 

"He's been a fun horse." 

Fitzsimmons said to add to the pleasure of Blazing Sword, most owners in the gelding are VRC members and will in attendance on Thursday. 

He said they had raced horses previously but have had wins sparingly. 

"They've had horses, but they've never had horses that have won more than one race and they're that excited they're heading to Oaks Day with a runner," Fitzsimmons said. 

While the group is excited to be heading to Oaks Day with a runner on the program, Blazing Sword will need to overcome the widest gate in the capacity field of 16 plus four emergencies. 

The gelding will be ridden by Blake Shinn who will be tasked with navigating the wide draw. 

"It's quite an even race although the last heat (won by Bel Mezyaan) at Bendigo was the highest rated race," Fitzsimmons said. 

"They'll probably be the first two favourites, but the thing with them is they have to back up in seven days."