Gr.1 Queensland Derby winner Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park) has dropped out of the Melbourne Cup nominations this week and the door was also shut on a run in the Golden Eagle (1500m) and Caulfield Cup (2400m) as trainer Chris Waller refined his campaign to target firstly the Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday week before a Cox Plate tilt.

“We’ve been thinking Cox Plate with him all along and that’s the way he’ll go as long as he runs as we expect in the King Charles,” Waller said.

“We always intended on running him in the Epsom (Handicap) and he ran terrific to be just beaten.

“He’s a sharp horse. I know he won a Queensland Derby (2400m) but I think he’ll peak at 2000 metres.”

Despite Waller’s glowing opinion of the winner of six of his 11 starts to date, Kovalica is rated a $17 chance to upset the confirmed weight-for-age stars in the King Charles and is a $21 chance to succeed at The Valley.

Meanwhile Medatsu (NZ) (Staphanos) is another kiwi-bred from the stable and is considered a long-shot Melbourne Cup candidate. He is the only three-year-old to be paid up at first declaration stage.

“He’s a really nice staying horse and while it’s a real longshot him getting there (Cup), he’ll go to the Spring Champion and then (Victoria) derby and we’ll see where we are.”