Kris Lees-trained Kalapour ready to back up win in Melbourne Cup

But Lees was pleased with what he saw on Saturday and Sunday from the seven-year-old, which was strong late to hang on for an all-the-way win in the last-chance shot to make the 24-horse field.

Kalapour, which has regularly made up ground from back in the field this preparation without winning, was a surprise leader under Damien Oliver in the group 3 Archer Stakes after receiving no early challengers from gate one.

Oliver was then able to control the tempo and Kalapour ($4.80) lifted late to hold out John O'Shea-trained favourite Athabascan ($2.80) by a third of a length.

The Archer Stakes winner is offered a place in the Cup and Lees was happy to take it after Kalapour was given an easy time in front for most of Saturday's race.

However, it will be the first time the Irish-bred War Command gelding has raced inside two weeks between runs.

"You don't know until you do it with them, but he was certainly bright this morning," Lees said on Sunday of Kalapour backing up just three days later.

"He just went to the beach for the morning and looked fit and well."

Kalapour was 27^th in the order of entry before the win and a chance of sneaking into the Cup field, but Lees wanted to see him race well regardless on Saturday to justify pushing on to the feature.

Lees got that but he was still wary of the task ahead. Kalapour will jump from gate 14 and have top Sydney apprentice Zac Lloyd aboard at 50 kilograms. He was $41 for the Cup with TAB on Sunday.

"Damien summed the race up well from the inside draw," he said.

"It wasn't the intention to lead, but he didn't have any strict instructions what to do either, so he was able to dictate the race, go at his own leisure, and he was always going to take some running down.

"He certainly showed grit and that will hold him in good stead, and he stays at 50 kilos. But we're certainly under no illusions, it will be a lot stronger than what he found there."

Meanwhile, Lees' other Cup runner Cleveland drifted in betting to $41 after gaining gate 23.

"It probably doesn't look ideal, but it just depends what happens on the day. You never know where they are going to be," Lees said of the draws. "It will come down to where they can get in from those gates."

Lees-trained Willinga Beast was fifth in the group 3 sprint (1100m) won by Oliver-ridden Queen Of The Ball on Saturday.

In the $2 million Victoria Derby, Scone trainer John Ramsey and Newcastle hoop Darryl McLellan finished in the money with Warialda Warrior, which came eighth.