'Unbelievably proud' - Fellowes targets 2021 Melbourne Cup with Prince Of Arran

Prince Of Arran will be targeted at a fourth Lexus Melbourne Cup in 2021 with his trainer Charlie Fellowes “unbelievably proud” of his globetrotter after a third placed effort on Tuesday.

The seven-year-old, owned by Saeed Obaida, finished third behind Twilight Payment and Tiger Moth at Flemington, beaten three-quarters of a length, having claimed second in 2019 and third on his first attempt at the Melbourne Cup in 2018.

Fellowes, who watched the race from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, said: “To finish third in a Melbourne Cup is remarkable even on its own. To place for a third year in a row is a really great achievement and one very few horses have done before.

Melbourne Cup result

“I’m unbelievably proud of my horse, of [groom] Aled Beech, who’s done a fantastic job with him, and proud of Jamie Kah, who was riding in her first Melbourne Cup and rode a beautiful race.”

He added: “It’s hard not to look at the race and wonder what might have been. If we’d have had a clearer run around the bend might we have finished better than third? It’s hard to say and we didn’t. I just couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Unlike the last two years, Prince Of Arran is set to return straight to Newmarket and not race at Hong Kong next month, with Fellowes keen to build around Australia’s most famous race again next season.

“I need to talk to the owner and the owner’s racing manager but while he’s healthy, happy and loving his racing I see no reason to retire him and I’m sure the owner will feel the same,” Fellowes said.

Prince Of Arran (number 12): a quarter of a length behind Vow And Declare in the race last yearCredit: Daniel Pockett (Getty Images)

“He won’t go to Hong Kong this year on the way home and next year we'll be focused on getting him back down to have a fourth crack at the Melbourne Cup, his year will be built around it.

“We’ll race him sparingly so it’ll likely be Saudi Arabia, Dubai, one run in England and then two in Australia with one being the Melbourne Cup.”

Twilight Payment, trained by Joseph O’Brien, became the sixth European-trained winner of the Melbourne Cup in the last decade – a feat that had only been achieved twice in the history of the race prior to 2010.

British and Irish-trained winners of the Melbourne Cup

2020 Twilight Payment (Joseph O'Brien)
2018 Cross Counter (Charlie Appleby)
2017 Rekindling (Joseph O'Brien)
2002 Media Puzzle (Dermot Weld)
1993 Vintage Crop (Dermot Weld)

Fellowes does not think the success rate is a surprise, and said: “Not only do we breed the best stayers but we’re really good at training them as well. The Aussies have the bragging rights for sprinters but we train stayers beautifully.

“In Aidan O’Brien we have a master trainer and with Joseph you have a trainer that in no time at all has made a huge impact and will soon be regarded as a master of what he does. To be able to mix it with them on rare occasions is an honour.”

The other European runners finished tenth (Ashrun), 15th (Master Of Reality), 20th (Stratum Albion) and 21st (Dashing Willoughby). Anthony Van Dyck was sadly put down due to an injury.

Read more on the 2020 Melbourne Cup

Joseph beats Aidan again as Twilight Payment holds on to win the Melbourne Cup

Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck fatally injured in Melbourne Cup

Jim Bolger behind another success story as Twilight Payment lands Melbourne Cup

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