Archie Alexander reckons a Caulfield Cup win wouldn't be a life changer for the majority of trainers in Saturday's rich race.
But it would be for him.
The Caulfield Cup field reads like a who's who of the training game including the legendary Irishman Aidan O'Brien and previous Caulfield Cup winning trainers David Hayes and Murray Baker plus Melbourne Cup winner Darren Weir, to name just a few.
And then there is Alexander.
When the 31-year-old former Pom moved to Australia three years ago he was given four horses to train in Ballarat, it was a world away from his roots in Yorkshire in the north of England.
In his early days in Australia, there were more than a few self doubts as Alexander borrowed money to buy a house and improve his stables.
He crossed his fingers that his giant leap of faith would work out.
He has made huge strides in the last couple of years, including training 34 winners last season, but knows a Caulfield Cup win with his $21 chance Lord Fandango would really put him on the map.
"If you have a look through the Caulfield Cup field, quite a few of the trainers have won the Caulfield Cup before and plenty of them have won big group I races – a win on Saturday probably wouldn't change their lives," Alexander says.
"But it would change my life.
"When I moved to Australia I did wonder what I was doing, I was in Ballarat which is a bit remote and I had no family in Australia and not even a partner at the time.
"I was given four horses and three of them were very average.
"At times it was tough and there were stages where I certainly doubted myself.
"I dug a big hole, I owed a lot of money to the banks, all the normal things for a young trainer.
"I thought the only way to get out of it was by doing well and that is what I set about doing."
Luckily in those early days in Australia, Alexander had the support of Terry Henderson and the OTI Racing team.
Alexander met Henderson through a bloodstock agent in Ireland and he was guaranteed four horses to start with in his new Ballarat stables.
In another lucky break, one of those horses was Renew who became his first Listed winner in the 2014 Sandown Cup.
The month before, Renew ran 16th at $201 in the Caulfield Cup won by Admire Rakti.
"I had a weird first year in Australia, I had a Caulfield Cup runner with Renew and I think that was only my 13th runner in Australia," Alexander said.
"Winning the Sandown Cup that year with Renew was probably what really got me going.
"My second year was OK but the last couple of years have been really good.
"At the end of the day I moved to Australia because I had to look at who was supporting me and who was going to send me a horse.
"I worked just about everywhere overseas and for lots of trainers.
"People always said I was a good guy and they might have a horse for me – but no-one actually ever did it.
"Terry Henderson promised to give me four horses up front and that was the first time anyone had showed that sort of faith in me.
"Sure enough I moved to Ballarat and on day one those horses arrived, it is fair to say I was very glad to see them arrive."
Alexander met and married his wife Annie a couple of years into his Australian stint and it has been a godsend for the up-and-coming trainer on many fronts.
Not only has Alexander settled down with the love of his life, but Annie also rides many of his horses at trackwork and does a lot of office work for his growing business.
So does Alexander think Lord Fandango, who gained a Caulfield Cup ballot exemption by winning the Herbert Power Stakes, has a chance on Saturday's $3million race?
Alexander feels the five-year-old stayer, who will carry just 50kg with apprentice Ben Allen to ride, can be there when the whips are cracking.
"To be honest I wasn't thinking about the Caulfield Cup with him but now I do think he is a chance, he has got a light weight, a good barrier (9) and is in good form," Alexander said.
"He is coming off a win whereas a lot of these Caulfield Cup horses are coming off question mark runs.
"The only worry is that he has got to back-up and the quick back-up is the question mark.
"I feel in general I am becoming a stronger name in training and I am getting some good momentum, but winning a Caulfield Cup would really elevate me to the next level."
