Last year’s Sydney Cup runner-up Athabascan will again try his luck in Melbourne on Saturday, with an eye to securing his place in spring’s Melbourne Cup.
Athabascan was one of 28 gallopers entered on Monday for Saturday’s Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) at Flemington, where the winner gains a ballot exemption for November’s Cup at the same track.
Last spring, Athabascan was ruled out of the Melbourne Cup just days before the race after industry vets diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia, but co-trainer John O’Shea said connections will be making the trip this week for the Andrew Ramsden (2800m) confident of a good result.
“We felt all preparation that he’s had a lot more in the tank as he was really coping well with his racing and I was just concerned that we were missing out a bit with his rating (current figure of 102) and we want to make sure he makes the (Melbourne) Cup field,” O’Shea said.
“He’s in good form and we’re looking forward to the race. We’ll give him a piece of work in the morning, and then he’ll come down.
“He’s had a couple of runs there (Flemington) and one day he drew well and just got beat and the other time he drew poorly and it didn’t work for him.”
Athabascan, who is to be ridden by Ben Melham on Saturday, ran fifth in the Sydney Cup at his latest start and O’Shea said the out-of-season tilt at the Ramsden shouldn’t compromise his build-up to Headquarters in spring.
Athabascan finishes 5th in the 2025 G1 Sydney Cup.
“As a six-year-old, he doesn’t need a lot of time off, so he can have a burn around here and he can have a light break and prepare for the Cup,” he said.
The above is an excerpt from Andrew Eddy’s Racing.com article and can be read here.