English stayer A Prince Of Arran has the right winning form heading into the 2018 Group 1 $7.3m Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.
Melbourne Cup runner A Prince Of Arran, above in blue and red colours, has pulled up well after his win in the Lexus Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Steve Hart.
A Prince Of Arran was the last horse to make the final twenty-four horse Melbourne Cup field with his win in the Group 3 $300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday.
The winner of the Lexus Stakes was exempt from the ballot for the Melbourne Cup and A Prince Of Arran was able to leap frog several other Cup hopefuls who were borderline contenders for ‘The Race That Stops A Nation’.
English trainer Charlie Fellowes was ecstatic to have secured a spot in the famous two miler but he was out of luck at the barrier draw with A Prince Of Arran coming up with barrier twenty in the capacity field.
Fellowes has reported on Sunday morning that A Prince Of Arran has pulled up in great shape after his win at all costs in the Lexus Stakes and is ready to head back to Flemington on Tuesday.
“The vets checked him over when he got back last night,” Fellowes told AAP.
“They gave him some fluids to help him get over the race and he polished off his feed last night which was the most important thing.
“He trotted up sound this morning, had a nice pick of grass.
“I took his rug off and he looks fantastic.
“So far so good.”
“If we hadn’t run yesterday he would have had to gallop, and we’ve more than paid the expenses.
“The good part was he pulled two lengths clear, the other horse came to pick him up and then he’s kicked on again.
“That suggests there’s still a little bit more petrol in the tank.”
Lexus Stakes winning jockey Michael Walker will be aboard A Prince Of Arran again in the Melbourne Cup and the six year old English stayer is marked at $17 with Ladbrokes.com.au.
The Aidan O’Brien trained Irish stayer Yucatan is an easing Melbourne Cup favourite at $6 ahead of Magic Circle and the Charlie Appleby trained Cross Counter who share the second line of betting at $9.
