Connections are hopeful Prince of Arran (GB) has done enough to earn a spot in the $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup following a courageous performance in Wednesday’s $400,000 Group III bet365 Geelong Cup (2400m).
Given a positive ride by Michel Walker from the outside barrier, Prince of Arran (GB) raced on the outside of the pacesetting Hacky (IRE) before Walker asked for the supreme effort on the point of the home turn.
After fighting off the stubborn Hacky, the Charlie Fellowes-trained gelding came under attack from the heavily-backed Willy Mullins-trained mare True Self (IRE) (Oscar) but Prince of Arran (GB) (Shirocco) was up for the fight, battling to a long-head win over True Self (IRE) with Haky (Muhtathir) staying on strongly to be a length and a half back in third.
With Charlie Fellowes back in England, travelling foreperson Natasha Eaton said she hoped Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter was sufficiently impressed to award a weight penalty that would move Prince Of Arran up the order of entry (currently 40th) for the Melbourne Cup.
"I'm just hoping and praying that it's enough to get in, that's what we want, old Greg to be nice, come on," Eaton told racing.com.
Walker said the import was all courage down the straight.
"I got there so easily but I had to do the donkey work leading the rest of the field up to the leader," Walker said.
"He was off the bit cornering but he always does that. As soon as he hit the straight, geez he's lengthened out.
"He's got a heart as big as anybody on this course today. I love this horse."
Trained by Charlie Fellowes at Newmarket, Prince of Arran (GB) sure does love his trips to Australia.
In three starts in Australia last spring, the 7yo gelding finished third in the Group II Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield, won the Group III Lexus Stakes at Flemington and finished third in the Melbourne Cup.
After some indifferent form in Europe Prince Of Arran (GB) finished second in the Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield.
Prince Of Arran (GB) arrived in Australia off the back of a third placed finish in the Group III September Stakes at Kempton Park, which was the first time he had placed in six starts since his previous Australian stint after which he took in races in Hong Kong and Dubai.
He is a son of the 2005 Breeders' Cup Turf, the Coronation Stakes and the German Derby winner Shirocco who would rate as one of Monsun's best sons. T
The late, great German stallion Monsun has sired the winners of three Melbourne Cups, Fiorente (IRE) in 2013, Protectionist (GER) (2014) and Almandin (GER) in 2016. Prince Of Arran's sire Shirocco would rate as one of Monsun's best sons.
The dam of Prince Of Arran, Storming Sioux, is a daughter of Machiavellian's 4-time Group 1 winning son Storming Home, is a three-quarter sister to Group 1 Longchamp Prix d'Ispahan winner Best Of The Bests out of the Group III Fred Darling Stakes winner Sueboog (Darshaan).
