Fellowes delighted with 'perfect' draw for Melbourne Cup hope Prince Of Arran

Charlie Fellowes described stall eight as the perfect draw for star stayer Prince Of Arran in Tuesday’s Lexus Melbourne Cup.

There is no doubt the trainer’s wife Victoria will be enlisted for future draw duties after plucking out the berth for the Geelong Cup winner.

Prince Of Arran, who won the Hotham Stakes to earn his spot three days before the Flemington feature last year, is a 18-1 shot with bet365.

Fellowes said of last year’s third: “Victoria did really well! It’s a perfect draw and gives us plenty of options. He ran out of petrol in the last half furlong last year but this time he’s had a much easier year, not had to run three days before and everything is slightly falling into place.

“It’s now a case of whether he’s good enough. It’s impossible not to dream about winning it – when you go out on the heath at Newmarket, your mind definitely wanders!”

The winning stall in the last ten years

19, 4, 17, 1, 10, 5, 5, 13, 11, 21

Paul Preusker’s Melbourne Cup hope Surprise Baby drifted to 16-1 (from 12) with the same firm after being drawn in stall 20.

Preusker, who refused to comment on his previous four-year suspension for the use of a jigger, said: “It’s a tough draw but we’ll have to make the best out of it. His preparation has gone superbly and he deserves to be here. Any more rain would be in his favour.”

Magic Wand – the mount of Ryan Moore – was drawn widest in stall 24, while Master Of Reality will break from the inside berth under Frankie Dettori next to Japan’s hope Mer De Glace.

General 6-1 favourite Constantinople will start from stall seven under Joao Moreira, while Raymond Tusk is in stall three and last year's winner Cross Counter, ridden by William Buick, is in stall five.

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