The fate of Melbourne Cup contenders Wall Of Fire and Thomas Hobson rests in the hands of Charlie Appleby, who could potentially end the hopes of a couple of overseas-trained hopefuls after Qewy's gallant Bendigo Cup win.
Godolphin's European trainer went back-to-back in the $300,000 country feature, last year's Geelong and Sandown cups winner Qewy fighting off Darren Weir's Kiwia to triumph on Wednesday.
![Jockey Kerrin McEvoy and travelling foreman Chris Connett with the Bendigo Cup after Qewy's win on Wednesday.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171104022212im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/z/c/v/5/u/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gzcpn8.png/1509527640116.jpg)
It has only muddied the Melbourne Cup waters – British-based Appleby had said prior to the race the eight-year-old would need to win convincingly to progress to Australia's great race, which he ran fourth in last year.
But having appeared a sitting shot for stalker Kiwia, Kerrin McEvoy lifted Qewy to a first Australian success of this spring and challenged Appleby to run him just six days later to join James Cummings' locally-prepared Hartnell in royal blue for the $6 million Cup.
Qewy is safely in the field at No.22 in the order of entry, but fellow Werribee lodgers Wall Of Fire (No.24) and Thomas Hobson (No.26) are in danger of missing a start.
The Lexus Stakes winner could leap Wall Of Fire and take the final spot, while Willie Mullins' chances of saddling up three runners in the Cup with Thomas Hobson squeezing into the field are fading by the day.
Lloyd Williams is yet to confirm whether Gallante (No.20) will start in the race.
Sportsbet slashed Qewy's Melbourne Cup quote to $21.
![Kerrin McEvoy pilots Qewy, right, to victory in the Bendigo Cup.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171104022212im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/z/c/v/5/n/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gzcpn8.png/1509527640116.jpg)
"It's a great credit to our team, who have travelled down to Melbourne, and full credit to Qewy himself, who is such a tough, reliable campaigner," Appleby said. "I understand they have run a track record, or close to it, so he will have had a hard race.
"We won't be in any hurry about deciding on the Melbourne Cup. Let's see how he has come out of this. I will discuss it with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed in the next 48 hours."
On Qewy's Melbourne Cup suitability, McEvoy said: "It's a big call to run him in the Cup, [but] he stays so well. It's up to Charlie.
"He'll come on for the run and he's got to be a top 10 chance at least in the Cup. He lacks a bit of brilliance, but he stays well and tries hard. We'll let Charlie and Sheikh Mohammed decide whether he runs or not."
McEvoy steered Francis Of Assisi to a comfortable Bendigo Cup victory last year before the horse romped home in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on the final day of the Flemington carnival.
This was no such walk in the park for Qewy, who had to rally in the straight to thwart the challenge of Kiwia, who followed the favourite everywhere in the run.
Foundry's hopes of forcing his way into the Melbourne Cup field faded when he was a distant third.
"It's nice to get on the back of this horse again," McEvoy said. "He was game in a couple of wins last time and it was a great run in the Melbourne Cup. I'm pleased to see him get back to his best form and win here today.
"I wanted to be closer, but he didn't step great. I got a nice trail and I just stepped it up from four furlongs out and got him into the race. I made Kiwia chase me and we were too strong."
Added Kiwia's trainer Weir: "The horse went terrific. He had every possible chance and the winner was too good. He followed it everywhere, came to the outside of it and gave the horse every chance and at the end of the day the winner was too good."
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