Cumani hoping for Afsare return

Luca Cumani plans to start afresh with Afsare once he has recovered from the problem which ruled him out of last week’s Sportingbet Cox Plate.

The experienced international traveller, who has competed in Italy and Turkey, appeared most unfortunate when only second in the Arlington Million and was due to be a rare European runner in Australia’s premier weight-for-age race.

However, he picked up a fetlock injury which could not be fully treated in time.

“Afsare is back home now, he will have his rest and hopefully he will be as good next year,” Cumani said.

Cumani still has two leading contenders for the Emirates Melbourne Cup, a race he has been desperate to win for some time.

Mount Athos and Quest For Peace, who runs with the prefix ’My’ due to a clash with another Australian horse, worked alongside each other at the Werribee quarantine centre on Wednesday morning.

The Italian said: “The horses are enjoying it, and that’s it for them now. It would be nice to think they have improved, but they left Newmarket in very good shape and they are still in very good shape.”