Fallon sweet on Athos cup bid

Kieren Fallon believes Mount Athos would have a live chance in the Melbourne Cup.

The former John Hills-trained five-year-old joined Luca Cumani after a short spell with David Wachman, and owner Dr Marwan Koukash was talking of sending him on the long trip after his impressive win at York on Saturday.

The so-called ’race that stops a nation’ is one Cumani has come agonisingly close to winning in the past.

“I’ll be honest, I’ve always liked him since I rode him in the spring but I hadn’t ridden him on the course. When I rode him at home I thought he could have been a Gold Cup horse,” Fallon told Racing UK.

“He hasn’t had his ground and he’s been pulled out of a few races, but he’s come good at the right time.

“I was hoping they’d go a stronger gallop, they didn’t go very quick so I thought he did well to win as he

did off a slow gallop.

“He’d had a live shout in the Ebor but the Melbourne Cup is a race everybody wants to win as it’s worth a lot of money.

“He’d definitely have a live chance as he’s got early speed, which you need to get a good position in the Melbourne Cup, he stays well, he’s got a turn of foot and he’ll go on any ground as long as it’s not too soft.”