Royal Supremacy ($7.50) has thrust himself into Melbourne Cup contention after a tough victory in the Group 1 Metropolitan at Randwick.

Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan, the five-year-old fought hard to hold off Soul Of Spain ($4.80F) by three-quarters of a length, with stablemate Juja Kibo ($19) close behind in third.

“He just gets better with each run,” Maher said. “He used to be a little bit aggressive… but he’s starting to relax a little bit better. He’ll probably go to the Melbourne Cup, I would imagine.”

Dolan, who famously appeared on The Voice, said making the 50kg weight was no easy task. “It’s tough getting to 50kg when you’re nearly 30 years old,” he laughed.

With his previous Cup mount Knight’s Choice sidelined, Dolan said he’s grateful for another chance at the great race. Royal Supremacy is now a $26 chance in early Cup markets.