Young Cranbourne trainer Alex Rae with a tough family day before Lord Mayor’s Cup test for Shock ‘Em Ova

There will be few dry eyes around young Alex Rae’s stable if Shock ‘Em Ova can win Saturday’s Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup at Eagle Farm.

Young Cranbourne trainer Alex Rae has a tough day on Wednesday before stable star Shock ‘Em Ova runs in Saturday’s Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup at Eagle Farm. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

Cranbourne trainer Alex Rae will face one of the toughest days of his life just 72 hours before his stable star Shock ‘Em Ova makes his Brisbane debut in the Lord Mayor’s Cup.

Rae will return to Melbourne to join his family to farewell his beloved mother, Cathy, on Wednesday, a week after she died following a short illness.

“We’re all gutted but we’ll all soldier on. We don’t have any other option,” he said.

“It’s important we keep the stable operating. Mum loved the horses more than anything and she was very proud of what me and my brother had done with the stable.”

Rae said his mum was also a crucial part of his operation, helping him with many tasks to leave him able to concentrate on the horses.

“Mum worked with us every afternoon helping out at the stables and she was probably the most important member of the team,” Rae said.

“She did a lot of behind the scenes work helping me out with a lot of administration so it’s a great shock to everyone.”

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Rae headed to Queensland with Shock ‘Em Ova after the gelding’s outstanding first-up win at Caulfield on May 11.

He said it was a difficult decision to head north while his mother was ill but her words echoed in his mind as he decided his next move.

All eyes to the outside 👀

Shock 'Em Ova storms down the outside to win 🌩 pic.twitter.com/9RskHmo449

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) May 11, 2024

“It wasn’t an easy decision having to come to Queensland with everything that’s going on because at times like this, your friends and family are always the priority,” Rae said.

“But mum loved the horses and loved what we had done with the stable and she would have been furious if I didn’t go to Queensland with Shock ‘Em Ova.”

Shock ‘Em Ova is the $4.50 favourite to give the Rae family a welcome tonic in the Lord Mayor’s Cup.

Rae said the rising six-year-old had thrived since arriving in Queensland.

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Shock ‘Em Ova was a dominant first-up winner at Caulfield on May 11 before heading to Queensland for Saturday’s Lord Mayor’s Cup. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

“He’s done phenomenally well,” Rae said.

“He hasn’t turned a hair, he’s really enjoying it and the weather has been beautiful. He’s very fit and certainly ready to rumble once he has a look at the circuit. Hopefully we can draw a barrier on Saturday.”

The Lord Mayor’s Cup will be Shock ‘Em Ova’s first run in stakes company but the time had arrived to test the winner of five of 10 starts as a spring contender in Brisbane.

Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight won last year’s Lord Mayor’s Cup before claiming the Q22 for trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman.

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Rae said a strong performance in the Lord Mayor’s Cup would earn Shock ‘Em Ova a crack at the $1.2m Q22 at Eagle Farm on June 15.

“He’s nearly six years of age and he’s had 10 starts for no reason other than the fact we’ve wanted to look after him,” Rae said.

“He’s ready to now take on the better class of horse and see exactly where he fits into the mix.

“The expectation is that he’ll be pretty hard to beat on Saturday and if he is up to that level, then we’d definitely have a throw at the stumps in the Q22.

“We’re definitely not there to make up the numbers so he’d want to be running well on Saturday.”

Jockey Craig Williams will ride Shock ‘Em Ova in the Lord Mayor’s Cup.

Originally published as Young Cranbourne trainer Alex Rae with a tough family day before Lord Mayor’s Cup test for Shock ‘Em Ova