He's never ridden at Flemington, let alone in a Melbourne Cup.
His horse was a no-name a few weeks ago and $301 in the Melbourne Cup.
But Dominic Tourneur, the jockey of Melbourne Cup second-favourite Alcopop, is ready for the day and ideally ride of his life.
An Alcopop victory in today's $5.65million Melbourne Cup at Flemington would make for one of the race's greatest Cinderella stories.
We all loved Makybe Diva, all shed a tear for Ollie when Media Puzzle won not long after the death of his brother Jason.
But Team Alcopop will long be remembered as fairytale winners of the Cup should they achieve it shortly after 3pm this afternoon.
The Alcopop yarn has been well documented.
Tourneur has spent most of his riding career at country tracks like Marble Bar, Alice Springs and Bunbury.
The horse's trainer Jake Stephens is a university drop-out who loves windsurfing and playing polo.
And Alcopop spent time mustering cattle and as a polo pony before entering the big time in the racing world.
Today they will join forces once again on the grandest stage of all in the 149th running of Australia's greatest horse race.
Stephens has shut up shop for the past 48 hours, putting himself on a media ban and hiring security guards for his horse.
Not Tourneur. The likeable hoop was relaxed and excited at yesterday's Melbourne Cup Parade.
More importantly, he was also confident.
''I'm pumped to be here, definitely excited more than nervous,'' Tourneur said on Cup eve.
''There's no butterflies. I'm pretty calm. I'm reserved and focused.''
That focus will prove vital today when he is legged aboard the $5.50 prospect.
Alcopop rose to prominence with a blistering win in the Group2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield last month.
Stephens opted not to race the five-year-old again before the Melbourne Cup and while some believed it to be the wrong decision, Tourneur disagrees.
''The horse is great. He's where we want him,'' the jockey said.
''We're out there to win and we're a good chance of doing so.
''I'm just taking the approach that this is just another ride and I need to be the same as I am every week to make sure the horse gets every chance.''
The main danger to Alcopop is not a horse but in fact a man: Bart Cummings.
Cummings has three Cup runners Viewed, Roman Emperor and Allez Wonder.
He was his usual witty self at yesterday's parade when asked how he was feeling ahead of the race.
''Pretty much the same. The money's getting better though,'' Cummings said.
Viewed is favourite for the Melbourne Cup following his third-placing in Saturday's Mackinnon Stakes (2000m).
He will carry topweight of 58kg, five kilograms more than when he won the race last year.
''He was just warming up on the post,'' Cummings said of Viewed's Mackinnon performance.
''If the weight doesn't stop him, he's probably got a good chance of winning again.''
Bart's son Anthony will start Zavite in the Cup.
Zavite won the Adelaide Cup over 3200m in March, which has given the younger Cummings confidence of a successful performance today.
''That was his only go at the trip and he dominated,'' the trainer said. ''It's a proven form race over the years so hopefully that trend will continue [today].''
Shocking is on the fourth line of betting at $11 following his win in Saturday's Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington.
His trainer Mark Kavanagh said the horse had thrived since that performance and was ''ready to rock and roll''.
''That's the way you want them to win the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup,'' Kavanagh said.
''He's jumping from barrier 22. There's 21 better barriers but at the end of it all, stats show you can still win from out there.''
Shocking will be ridden by Corey Brown, who finished a nose second in last year's Cup on Bauer.
''I'm still getting over it,'' Brown said. ''There's only one way to cure it win this year's.''
And that's what he and 23 of his fellow riders will be out to do today. Win it.
And if that turns out to be Tourneur on Alcopop, their names will be well and truly welcomed into racing immortality.