Former French stayer Athabascan will return to Flemington this weekend, chasing a prized Melbourne Cup exemption in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m).
Now trained by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, Athabascan is eyeing a start in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November and a win on Saturday would seal his spot via ballot exemption.
Despite only racing at Flemington twice, the seven-year-old made a good impression in the spring last year, running eighth in The Bart Cummings before finishing runner-up in The Archer (2500m) just days before the Cup.
He hasn’t raced in Victoria since that effort, having remained in Sydney where his most notable win came in the ATC St Leger (2600m) last October.
“The Sydney Cup was our aim with him and once we got through that we didn’t want to give him an extended period in the paddock, so he just had a freshen up,” Charlton said.
Athabascan placed fifth behind Arapaho in this year’s Sydney Cup and has been kept fresh with a gallop at Warwick Farm and another at Randwick on Tuesday.
“This was the most likely race with potential Melbourne Cup 2025 aspirations in the spring,” Charlton added.
Ben Melham takes the ride aboard Athabascan as he returns from his Tour d’Horse charity ride for the KIDS Foundation.
Punters looking to back Athabascan in Saturday’s feature can compare odds and betting promotions across leading Australian betting sites.