LIKE most racing fans, Rudi Medz had dreamed of one day cheering on his own horse in a Melbourne Cup (3200 metres) at Flemington.
And while he, his brother Mark and son Daniel won't be trackside on Tuesday because of COVID-19 restrictions, they are still "over the moon".
The Hunter trio are part-owners of Victorian mare Oceanex, which secured her ticket into the $8 million race in May when she won the listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington.
They own a five per cent share in the five-year-old, which is trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr, and they will be cheering her on from Rudi's Barnsley home.
"It's been pretty exciting," Rudi said. "It's come around pretty quick and I can't wait now for the race.
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"We've been hanging on, hanging on. We had our accommodation booked, flights booked and all that ... well, at least we've got one in there. If you can't be there, that's just how it is. You can't help that.
"We're just over the moon we've got one in there."
Oceanex is just the third venture into horse ownership for Rudi and Mark, who are storemen at TAFEs in Metford and Belmont respectively. Oceanex is the first horse for Daniel, 33, who works as a security guard at Newcastle university.
"It's a dream," Rudi said. "You dream and think it would be nice to have a Melbourne Cup runner but you never think you're going to have one.
"It's history now. Your family can always look back and see they had a horse in the Melbourne Cup."
The Medz brothers got into horse ownership after Rudi's wife, Kali, died in 2011 from cancer.
Friends and family of Kali would gather each year at the races to remember her.
Rudi hoped Oceanex's barrier draw in 17, the date of his wife's birthday, was a good omen for Tuesday.
"My brother and myself we've always loved a punt and we'd always said we'd get a horse one day," he said.
"We never had done it but my brother brought it up one day and said why don't we do it. I think he was trying to give me an interest, to get my mind off things."
Oceanex was third last start in the Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) but was considered a long-shot for the Melbourne Cup at $71 with the TAB.
However, the mare has already proven an astute selection by Rudi after earning $721,970 in prizemoney and winning six times in 22 starts.
"Mick [Price] gets the horses then sends the emails and you have a look," he said. "When I saw that one, I said to my brother, we've got to get this one, because I like stayers and Ocean Park was its sire, so I backed that.
"We got our share and I asked my son to go in it, and he's over the moon because it's his first horse.
"We just bought for an interest and we said we'd be happy if it could win a race in town, and now she's won three at Flemington."
He hoped Oceanex could defy the odds to continue an exciting year for his family. Daniel's son, Leo, was born, giving Rudi, 67, a first grandchild. Rudi's daughter, Yanna, is getting married in December.
"It's a big year," Rudi said.
"Everything is happening, so this could top it off lovely.
"It's a hard race but it's just good to be in there."
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