A resounding last-start win has put Athabascan on a Melbourne Cup path with trainer John O’Shea seeing no reason why the French import can’t go on with the job.
The five-year-old has been in Australia for less than a year and after a seasoning campaign in the autumn, which included a Canberra Cup placing behind subsequent Group 1 winner Arapaho, the horse appears to have hit his stride.
Two solid efforts over shorter journeys laid the platform for his City Tattersall’s Club Cup (2400m) victory and O’Shea expects him to prove it was no fluke when he steps out over the same distance in the Colin Stephen Quality at Rosehill.
“He has trained on lovely and there’s no reason he wouldn’t run well on Saturday,” O’Shea said.
While Athabascan holds a nomination for the Metropolitan (2400m) seven days later, he is unlikely to back-up in the staying feature.
O’Shea is instead keen to head south to tackle some of the Cup lead-up races in a bid to secure a start on the first Tuesday in November.
“He’s going to Flemington to The Bart Cummings,” O’Shea said.
“I think he is a genuine two-miler, so we’ll give him a chance (to get to the Melbourne Cup).”
O’Shea will be double handed in the Shannon Stakes (1500m) where he has Kirwin’s Lane and the resuming Lion’s Roar.
Lion’s Roar usually improves with racing and as a Wagga Cup runner-up, he is being aimed towards either the Big Dance or Little Dance at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.
Epsom Handicap hopeful Kirwan’s Lane showed he had returned in good order when finishing midfield and less than three lengths from Golden Mile first-up in the Theo Marks Stakes and profiles nicely for the Shannon, provided he can overcome his 59kg topweight.
“I think Kirwan’s will run well, it’s just his capacity to lump the weight,” O’Shea said.
“He is going to get a good, economical run and he loves the 1500 at Rosehill.
“Lion’s Roar is in good form, but he always needs a run or two.”