He’s in princely order

English raider A Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {GER}) has taken no harm from his winning run in Saturday’s G3 Lexus S.

“The vets checked him over when he got back. They gave him some fluids to help him get over the race,” trainer Charlie Fellows said.

“He polished off his feed, which was the most important thing.”

Fellowes said he inspected the stayer at his Werribee base on Sunday morning and liked what he saw.

“I took his rug off and he looks fantastic. So far so good,” he said.

A Prince Of Arran pressed his G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup claims with his defeat of Brimham Rocks (GB) (Fastnet Rock) at Flemington on Saturday.

“The good part was he pulled two lengths clear, the other horse came to pick him up and then he's kicked on again,” Fellowes said.

“That suggests there's still a little bit more petrol in the tank.”

Change of stable

Muntahaa (IRE) (Dansili {GB}) will transfer to the Lindsay Park training operation after the G1 Melbourne Cup.

Shadwell Stud’s racing manager Angus Gold confirmed the plan was for the gelding to remain in Australia.

“A horse like this, he's a 5-year-old gelding, he's got little mileage on the clock and he's got a lot of talent,” Gold said.

“The racing here is A, it's fantastic but B there's huge prize money compared to what we have in Europe. To me it makes a lot of sense for him to stay here.

“If he takes to it mentally he's the sort of horse who could win a fair bit of prize money.”

Muntahaa has won four of his 15 starts for Newmarket trainer John Gosden, including a last-start success under 61kg in the Ebor H., at York.

O’Brien has finger on pulse

Aidan O’Brien won’t be at Flemington on Tuesday for the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup, with his faith again placed in his trusted travelling foreman TJ Comerford who has been discussing the preparation of all horses sent to Melbourne for the spring.

“He makes me send him videos of every horse of ours,” Comerford said.

“He wants to know everything that's going on and there's not much point sending 10 horses out here for the good of their health.

“I think if we can win it once, we can win it again.”

Yucatan(IRE) (Galileo {IRE}) earned favouritism for the Cup with victory in the Herbert Power S., at Caulfield on October 13.

His stablemate The Cliffsofmoher (IRE) (Galileo {IRE}) has had two Australian starts, finishing fourth in the G1 Caulfield S., and third to Best Solution in the G1 Caulfield Cup.

“The Cliffsofmoher has the better draw and that will bring him into it a little bit better, but if you're giving me the choice of horse in the race I'd be going with Yucatan,” Comerford said.

“You mightn't see the best of him from that draw, but if he's as good as I think he is, he'll still turn up.

"The Cliffsofmoher is the form horse. He's placed in five Group Ones this year.

“"The only change we've made is a different jockey. Ryan (Moore) knows him well and hopefully he can get the best out of him."

Rostropovich (IRE) (Frankel {GB} ran fifth in the G1 Cox Plate behind Winx and faces a big weight drop.

“He's done well and he's a happy horse and he's well in with very little weight,” Comerford said.

Veteran up for another Cup bid

G1 Melbourne Cup stalwart Who Shot Thebarman (NZ) (Yamanin Vital {NZ}) is ready for another tilt at the Flemington feature.

The two-time placegetter is set to make his fourth appearance in the staying feature.

“He really is a marvellous old horse and he is racing as well as ever,” part-owner Humphrey O’Leary said.

“Typical of Chris Waller, he has the old boy peaking at just the right time.

“His run for fourth in the Moonee Valley Cup at his last start was terrific and he drops another two and a-half kilos from that run.

“We know he loves the two mile journey and can go on any type of track, so we are thrilled he can have another crack at the race.”

With wife Fiona, O’Leary races Ladies First (NZ) (Dylan Thomas, who ran fifth in Saturday’s G3 Lexus S.

“She went a cracker and was making up good ground over the concluding stages,” he said.

“This really was a dress rehearsal for next year as the 2019 Melbourne Cup is definitely a target for her.

“She is going to fly home now and we will set her for the Sydney Cup in the autumn.”

Guineas long-term plan

Wild Planet (Animal Kingdom {USA}) has gone for a deserved break with a Group 1 plan already in place for the New Year.

The 3-year-old has made good progress through the spring and won the Listed Antler Luggage S., before placing in the Listed Gothic S., and in Saturday’s G3 Carbine Club S., at Flemington.

“He’ll be back here in the autumn for the Australian Guineas,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said.

“He’s done enough now and done his job.”

Zahra lands plum ride

Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega {IRE}) will be ridden by Mark Zahra in next Saturday’s G1 VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington.

He will replace regular rider Ben Melham, who was suspended on Saturday at Flemington for breaching the whip rules on runner-up Stars Of Carrum (Fiorente {IRE}) in the G1 VRC Derby.

Melham's ban starts after Tuesday when he will partner Who Shot Thebarman (NZ) (Yamanin Vital {NZ}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup.

The Anthony Freedman-trained Santa Ana Lane is high in the market for Sprint Classic defending champion Redzel (Snitzel) pre-post favourite.

The Charlie Appleby-trained G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S., winner Jungle Cat (IRE) (Iffraaj {GB}) is expected to make his final appearance in the race before retirement to stud.