OTI Racing is expecting big things from Only A Pleasure with founder Terry Henderson indicating that the French stayer could be the racing operations leading Melbourne Cup contender this year.

OTI Racing is hoping Only a Pleasure can replicate the success of Manighar. Photo by: Steve Hart

OTI currently have triple Group 1 winner Manighar, versatile import My Quest For Peace and Sandown Cup winner Ibicenco on their books but Henderson is confident Only A Pleasure could be their star performer during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.

The son of Montjeu is based in France under the care of leading European trainer Andre Fabre and was purchased by OTI last August.

The rising four-year-old has not been overly impressive since changing owners, with his best result being a third place finish in the Group 3 Prix De Lutece (3000m), but has clearly done enough to impress Henderson.

Only A Pleasure will have his next run in the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay (3000m) – the race won by in 2010 Americain before he came to Australia to win the Melbourne Cup (3200m) – before heading to Australia for his international racing debut.

“Only A Pleasure could be the one for us this spring,” Henderson told TVN.

“He’s trained by Andre Fabre and he’ll go to the Prix Kergorlay next before hopefully coming here.

“We’ll know a lot more after the Prix Kergorlay but this is the horse we’re looking for big things from.”

Henderson will be hoping Only a Pleasure performs significantly better than Mobaco and Kitten on the Run who both performed poorly in England on Saturday.

OTI were hopeful that the pair could be 2013 Spring Racing Carnival contenders but they will now miss the carnival and make their Australian racing debuts in December.

Andre Fabre has won over 100 Group 1 races all over Europe but has never had a runner in the Melbourne Cup.