Fellowes backs Prince Of Arran for 'huge' run as Melbourne Cup dream still alive

Charlie Fellowes says Prince Of Arran is primed to run another "huge race" in his third crack at the Lexus Melbourne Cup, but pinpointed Tiger Moth as the opponent concerning him most.

Prince Of Arran has thrived on his visits down under, finishing a three-length third behind Cross Counter in 2018 before going one better – after being promoted a spot by the stewards – last season.

The experienced seven-year-old finished a promising fourth in his prep run, and is rated a general 10-1 chance for Tuesday's race, with Tiger Moth the top-priced 11-2 favourite.

"He's doing very, very good and he's taken everything as well as we expected," said the Newmarket-based trainer. "He's such a professional now. He's been there, done that and seems to thrive down there.

"The next few days are going to be horrible for me as it's all I'll be able to think about! I'm gutted we're not out there but the fact the horse is there is remarkable in itself. I can't wait, he'll run a huge race as he always does. If he could win it'd be incredible.

Prince Of Arran (12): narrowly beaten last seasonCredit: Daniel Pockett (Getty Images)

"His run at Caulfield was brilliant, he had a horrible draw out wide and Jamie [Kah] did the right thing by dropping him in and rode him to finish the race off well. He's never won there [Caulfield] but he usually runs pretty well. It was almost a perfect prep race. He's always won his second start in Australia so maybe that's an omen."

Fellowes, who will be watching from home this time, believes the race is generally weaker this season while highlighting the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Tiger Moth as the one to beat.

The three-year-old is an unexposed type, who has had just four starts which include a second in the Irish Derby.

"It's an interesting race," added Fellowes. "I really liked Santiago before he was withdrawn, I thought he was the one to beat. I'm not as convinced about Tiger Moth although he ticks a lot of boxes. He's the obvious horse in the race with that three-year-old allowance. He's probably the horse to beat but he doesn't worry me as much as Santiago did.

"I think we're probably as good as we were last year, I don't think we've improved, but I think the race is not as strong as it was last year. I could easily be proven wrong but I don't think there's a Cross Counter in there. Of the horses I'm fearing, Tiger Moth and Surprise Baby worry me and the other I like is Master Of Reality who looks very under the radar."

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