O’BRIEN HOPES VAN’S THE MELBOURNE MAN

ANTHONY VAN DYCK bids for racing immortality as the only Derby winner to land the Melbourne Cup when he takes on 23 rivals at Flemington early tomorrow.

The son of Galileo is the first Epsom hero to contest ‘the race that stops a nation’, but the bookies fancy his chances – Anthony Van Dyck and Aidan O’Brien stablemate Tiger Moth head Paddy Power’s betting at 6-1, with former Ballydoyle inmate Sir Dragonet next at 13-2.

Anthony Van Dyck went under by a head to Melbourne Cup rival Verry Elleegant in the Caulfield Cup last month, and O’Brien (below), seeking to fill one of the few gaps on his CV, said yesterday. “We had our eye on the two races – the plan was to look at the Melbourne Cup if he ran well in the Caulfield Cup. “He had a bad draw in Caulfield but Hugh [Bowman] was delighted with him and is looking forward to riding him again.

“We’ve never run him over further than a mile and a half, but we always thought he would get further. He’s tough, he’s very genuine and he has an unbelievable mind.”

O’Brien added of Tiger Moth, the mount of Kerrin McEvoy: “He’s drawn out wide [in stall 23] but everything has gone well with him.”

European runners make up one-third of the 24-runner field, with the Charlie Fellowes-trained Prince Of Arran, who finished fourth in the Caulfield Cup, bidding to better his second in the past two runnings.

“I didn’t have him 100 per cent for the Caulfield Cup, and he will be at his best,” said the Newmarket trainer.