Just Fine confirmed his status as a leading contender for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Australia on Nov. 7 with a vital win in the Group 1 Metropolitan Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Saturday. Just Fine ($2.80) needed a win in the $481,425 Metropolitan Stakes at 1 1/2 miles to qualify for the $4.97 million Melbourne Cup at two miles. Conditions for the Melbourne Cup state that horses must finish in the first three in group races at 1 7/16 miles or farther to be eligible. Just Fine started in a group race at 1 1/2 miles for the first time in the Metropolitan Stakes. Ridden by Rachel King, Just Fine won by slightly more than a head over 37-1 Spirit Ridge in a field of 15. They were more than three lengths clear of third-place finisher Kalapour (23-1). As of Saturday, Just Fine was 14-1 in the future book for the Melbourne Cup, much higher than 9-2 favorite Vauban, the winner of the Copper Horse Handicap at 1 3/4 miles at Royal Ascot in England in June. :: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing Just Fine, a 6-year-old Irish-bred gelding, is unbeaten in his last four starts, including the Group 3 King Town Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Randwick on Sept. 16. Just Fine began his career in England, where he was trained by Michael Stoute. Just Fine joined current trainers Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse last winter. The Bott-Waterhouse combination had four wins on Randwick’s 10-race program on Saturday, including two Group 1 races. Tropical Squall ($15.90) won for the third time in her last four starts for Bott-Waterhouse in the Grade 1 Flight Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old fillies at a mile. Ridden by Adam Hyeronimus, Tropical Squall won the $481,425 Flight Stakes by slightly more than three-quarters of a length over 5-1 Timochi. Tiz Inevitable, the 6-5 favorite, finished sixth in a field of 12. In the other Group 1 race at Randwick, Redeiner ($17.50) recorded a mild upset in the $962,500 Epsom Handicap at a mile under jockey Kathy O’Hara. Redeiner finished a nose in front of 6-1 favorite Kovalica in a field of 18. Going Global, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in 2021, finished last of 18, her fourth consecutive defeat since arriving in Australia last winter. Sunday preview Spacewalk, unraced since his first stakes win in June, will be an odds-on favorite to win the $96,500 Ranvet Handicap at five furlongs at Warwick Farm on Sunday evening. Trained by James Cummings, Spacewalk has won 3 of 15 starts since his career began in October 2021. Spacewalk won the June Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs in his 11th appearance in a stakes. A 4-year-old gelding, Spacewalk consistently runs from off the pace. He is winless in two starts at five furlongs in his career. Spacewalk is part of a field of seven in the Ranvet, the feature race on an eight-race program that begins at 10:25 p.m. Eastern or 7:25 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com. Spacewalk’s main opposition is Extremely Lucky, a 5-year-old gelding who has won 3 of 9 starts, but is winless in four starts since the Lightning Stakes at 5 1/4 furlongs at Moonee Valley in July 2022. Extremely Lucky closed from last of 11 to finish fifth by two lengths in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Sept. 9, his second start of the year. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.