Hopes rest with Hawkspur to bring Melbourne Cup back to South Australia

PORT Lincoln will again be the toast of the nation if Hawkspur can win today's $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Chris Waller with his Melbourne Cup chance Hawkspur at his Flemington Stables. Picture: Mark Evans.

PORT Lincoln will again be the toast of the nation if Hawkspur can win today's $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup.

The Sydney-trained gelding is part-owned by former local fisherman David Pulgisi who love to bring the cup back to Boston Bay like good mate and neighbour Tony Santic did with Makybe Diva between 2003 and 2005.

"I had a bite to eat with Tony on Sunday,'' Puglisi said yesterday from the Melbourne Cup parade.

"Trying to under stand the euphoria he experienced, let's hope tomorrow we can, but it's quite a special moment for us just to be here,'' he said.

Australia-bred horses make up just five of this year's 24-horse Melbourne Cup field and two boast strong South Australian flavour.

Hawkspur who was bred and retained by Puglisi, while Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner was bred by Mill Park Stud on the edge of Coorong National Park at Meningie.

Hawkspur, who was beaten in a midweek Sydney maiden on debut, was the find of the Queensland winter before winning the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in September.

And Puglisi is hoping his luckless Caulfield Cup run when favourite will be forgot when Australia hold's it's breath and the barriers open at 2.30pm today for the race that stops a nation.

"It's been a big month,'' Puglisi added having remained in Melbourne since Hawkspur's Caulfield Cup run.

And the he's confident veteran hoop Jimmy Cassidy can claim the great race on the 30th anniversary of his win aboard Kiwi now the monkey is off his back having booted home his 100th Group 1 at Flemington aboard Zoustar on Saturday.

"Jimmy has got his 100th out of the way now and he knows the horse well, I'm sure he'll give a peach of a ride no matter what,'' Puglisi added.

Puglisi and wife Lynlea have scaled back their ownership in recent years but it won't just be Hawkspur who will fly the flag today with classy grey mare Arinso stepping out as favourite earlier in the day.

"She has a colt following,'' Puglisi said.

"She's come a long way from winning a maiden at Seymour, she's been such a fantastic horse for us ... We've had a lot of fun.''

"It also as much fun to see other people enjoying the ride and these special moments.''

For prominent SA stud Mill Park, the 2013 Spring Carnival has already been a big one.

Happy Trails claimed the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes before his narrow miss in the Cox Plate while Fawkner's transition from a miler in 2012 to the Caulfield Cup winner and Melbourne Cup contender has been nothing short of first-class.

Fawkner was a $70,000 purchase by leviathan owner and Melbourne Cup tragic Lloyd Williams from the 2009 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne.

And he's now the third Caulfield Cup winner to come from the Mill Park joining southern Speed (2011) and Mummify (2003).

As the Cup continues to change in shape and the raiders increase each November, it's leviathan Victorian owner and Melbourne Cup tragic Lloyd Williams who is hoping the changing shape can be halted by a hometown hero.

"The race is so different these days," Williams said.

"There are internationals who arrive each year as well as the imports bought by Australians in a bid to win the Cup.

"So to have a home-bred, and one who is by Reset who I own, is a bit different.

"It would be very pleasing for Australia to get an Australian-bred horse to win the race, and Fawkner is the one I have to do it," he said.