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Progressive stayer Shewan put himself in Melbourne Cup contention when winning today's Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield and put some Caulfield Cup contenders out of business in the process.

The Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes was a last chance for a number of Caulfield Cups prospects to qualify but Shewan, prepared on the course by Robert Smerdon, ended those hopes with his win.

The lightly-raced gelding enjoyed a good run off the speed before putting himself into the race along with another leading fancy in Tanby.

That pair drew clear and settled down to fight the race out, with Shewan forging to the lead close to home to score a narrow win.

Tanby held second while one of the visiting stayers from the UK, Moyenne Cornich, hit the line well for third. Midnight Martini, who covered ground mid-race, battled on for fourth.

Shewan, a lightly-raced son of Blevic, was not among the third acceptances for the Caulfield Cup last week with connections believing the race had come around too soon for him.

But his win enables him to progress through the first ballot clause of the Melbourne Cup, keeping those aspirations alive.

“He is still alive in the Melbourne Cup, we'll be happy winning that,” assistant trainer Henry Dwyer said.

“We thought it would all come a bit quick, the Caulfield Cup, he probably wasn't going to get there unless he won this race and the Melbourne Cup would probably fit him better but that's still a long way off as well.”

“If anything, the horse will be six months time away. He is an autumn, spring next year horse. It's not a fait accompli that he'll go to the Melbourne Cup, we'll just give him a run between then, something like the Saab (Lexus Quality on Derby Day) and if he comes through it well we'll obviously go to it but he's still progressing and maturing and we'll just play it by ear.”

Shewan, who currently has just 50kg, has shortened to $41.00 for the Melbourne Cup with TAB Sportsbet, where Lion Tamer is the $9.00 favourite.