It's the $2 million phone call Paul Jones will spend the next four days waiting to come.
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The Canberra trainer has Super Helpful as an emergency in The Kosciuszko (1200 metres) at Randwick on Saturday, meaning he needs at least one horse from the field of 14 to pull out by 7.20am race day.
Given the way Super Helpful won as a $51 long shot in Sydney on the weekend Jones felt his five-year-old gelding was the clear favourite to come in if there's a scratching.
It would add to the strong Canberra connections to the field for the $2 million feature race ahead of Wednesday's barrier draw.
Canberra trainer Matthew Kelley has I've Bean Tryin' ($51), while Goulburn trainer Matthew Dale, a born-and-bred Canberran, has two hopes in The Kosciuszko - $6-third-favourite Front Page and Cavalier Charles ($34).
Nick Olive, now based at Queanbeyan, has Kimberley Secrets ($34) and his former foreman Luke Pepper has the $3-favourite Opal Ridge, which he trains out of his Scone base.
Jones said three horses who'd been selected by slot holders had gone amiss so far - they just needed a fourth to sneak into the field.
![Canberra trainer Paul Jones will be waiting by the phone hoping to get a Kosciuszko call-up. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Canberra trainer Paul Jones will be waiting by the phone hoping to get a Kosciuszko call-up. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/62c00bff-f967-4625-bc12-044d4e6eae51.jpg/r0_0_4190_2356_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Obviously we don't get a start unless one of the other horses goes by the wayside as far as injury or whatever," he said.
"Then that particular slot owner has to select one of the four [emergencies] so we're not automatically in, but you'd have to think looking at the form of the four horses he'd have to be in the front of their mind.
"They have been coming and going the horses - there's been three horses so far originally selected and then gone amiss.
"We're just hopeful for the fourth - not wishing bad luck on anyone.
"We've put all the things in motion. [The call up] could come as late as 7.20am Saturday."
Jones, who trained Super Helpful as part of Joseph Jones Racing, said if the call didn't come then the son of Super One would be out on Canberra's Thoroughbred Park for trackwork by 7.30am on Saturday.
The $3 million Big Dance (1600m) was also on the radar, having qualified for that through winning last year's Snake Gully Cup (1400m).
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A run in the $1 million Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) could be a stepping stone for that, with the inaugural Canberra Community Chest (1400m) on November 25 also on the agenda.
"Our focus then redirects to Melbourne Cup Day where he's qualified for the Big Dance," Jones said.
"He's won at 1450m, but he hasn't won past that - hasn't been tried past that either.
"There is a Five Diamonds Prelude - I had a look at it last year, it was quite a strong race - it's on in two weeks' time.
"That's at 1500m and then two weeks later is the Melbourne Cup-slash-Big Dance."
Jones has also qualified Manderboss for the Big Dance, by winning the Bega Cup (1600m), but he hoped he'd end up in the $500,000 Little Dance (1600m) instead.
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