Prince Of Arran to defend crown

A CHANGE in scheduling has left the Geelong Cup with an unexpected windfall — the probable return of last year’s winner and dual Melbourne Cup placegetter Prince Of Arran.

Trainer Charlie Fellowes was keen to head back to the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield on October 10 with his iron horse but the only scheduled flight carrying international horses into Melbourne for the spring means the raiders will emerge later than usual.

Prince Of Arran has used the Herbert Power Stakes as the stayer’s Australian launch pad for the past two years but British media has revealed Fellowes could now return to the October 21 Geelong Cup.

“He’ll come out of quarantine (in Australia) around October 16 and we will then just have the one race in

Australia before the Melbourne Cup this year,’’ Fellowes told the Racing Post.

“It will probably be the Geelong Cup, although he will have an entry in the Caulfield Cup (on October 17).”

With just one horse flight from Europe to Melbourne this year due to COVID-19, the flight has been delayed a week to allow horses to run at the English and Irish St Leger meetings before starting a two-week quarantine term in England.

Prince Of Arran won the Geelong Cup last year after his runner-up effort in the Herbert Power left him vulnerable to missing a Melbourne Cup start.

“The reason he had two runs in Australia over the last two years was because he wasn’t in the Melbourne Cup and he had to improve to get in,” Fellowes said.

“This year we’ll be in the race whatever so there’s no pressure to go down there and perform.

“Although he is older and takes a bit more time getting fit it’s not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination.

“If it had happened last year I would have been more concerned.

“This year, one race will have him spot-on.’’

OTI’s True Self, who was narrowly beaten in the Geelong Cup by Prince Of Arran before winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, is likely to be among 16 internationals on the flight from the UK in October.