Mount Athos Set For Third Tilt At Melbourne Cup

Having finished fifth and third in the last two renewals of the Melbourne Cup, Mount Athos could line up in the Caulfield Cup before heading to Flemington.

The 7-year-old son of Montjeu was back to winning ways at the weekend when finishing a length clear of forgotten voice in the JLT Aston park Stakes at Newbury, a run which followed a trio unsuccessful efforts in Hong-Kong and Dubai.

Owner Dr Marwan Koukash has always held the Melbourne Cup in high regard and is aiming to send his charge to Australia in search of glory once more. Handler Marco Botti who saddled last year’s fifth Dandino at Flemington plans to keep Mount Athos as fresh as possible for the ‘race that stops a nation’ and had this to say after Saturday’s win, “Last year, when he was with Luca Cumani, he went straight for the Melbourne Cup, but this year we are considering running him in the Caulfield Cup beforehand.”

Punters looking for an early stab at Caulfield Cup betting can get odds of 51.00 on Mount Athos with leading bookie Bet365, but that bet comes with an element of risk involved with no guaruntees of participation. However the same firm and Sportsbet are quoting odds of 26.00 about Mount Athos for the Melbourne Cup, which looks an appealing bet given the horses game effort for third last time.