Americain has been confirmed as a Melbourne Cup hopeful for 2011 and will look for back-to-back wins

Americain has been confirmed as a 2011 Melbourne hopeful with his stable saying they want to come back to defend their 2010 title at Flemington.

Trainer Alain Royer-Dupre pencilled in the journey as he attempts to re-create the magic of last year’s success.

“We will try again. It was a very special day when he won in Australia,” he said.

It’s expected that he will have just two runs at home before boarding a plane and heading south.

It’s a bit different to the schedule leading up to last year’s race where he began racing in June and had four races in France before making the Australian trip.

It proved to be a successful formula as Americain won his last three in France including the Listed Prix Du Carrousel over 3000m, Group 2 Prix Kergorlay over the same trip.

The last run was towards the start of August and he arrived in Australian quarantine in early October.

His first run on Aussie soil was the Geelong Cup over 2400m which he won before moving straight into the Melbourne Cup.

In winning the 2010 Melbourne Cup he accounted for some of our best including Maluckyday and So You Think.

Following that win he travelled again, this time to Hong Kong where he contested the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase in December.

The 2400m trip was probably a bit short for him at that stage of his prep but he stall ran a credible third.

After that he was spelled in France until April when he came back to European racing running in a 3125m Listed race and a Group 3 over 3226m

He didn’t finish in the money in both events and as a result he’s back in the paddock until Royer-Dupre thinks he’s ready for the Australian Spring.

“It was difficult for him to travel to Melbourne and then to Hong Kong,” Royer-Dupre said.

“He needs time now and is going to have two races in Deauville before going again to Melbourne.”