Avilius Melbourne Cup plans abandoned, Vow and Declare likely starter

James Cummings will send one-time Melbourne Cup favourite Avilius to the spelling paddock, paving the way for another local hope to earn a Cup start.

Stable hand Will Evans walking Constantinople after a trackwork session at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.

James Cummings has abandoned Avilius’s Melbourne Cup quest, paving the way for Danny O’Brien to secure a Cup start with Caulfield Cup runner-up Vow And Declare.

Cummings will send Avilius, one-time Cup favourite, to the spelling paddock after his Cox Plate seventh as the attrition rate among high-profile contenders intensifies.

Fifth in the Cup order of entry, Avilius’s name will be missing when third declarations are taken on Monday.

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His removal from the 61 remaining contenders almost certainly guarantees Vow And Declare’s elevation into the provisional top 24.

Currently sitting at No.29, Vow And Declare has several horses ahead of him who won’t run in the $8 million Cup on November 5.

Among those unlikely to push on to the Cup are Homesman (seventh), Verry Elleegant (18), Yucatan (22), Mr Quickie (26th) and Shraaoh (28th), while Muntahaa (25th) is spelling.

Avilius is out of the Melbourne Cup.

O’Brien will nominate Vow And Declare for Saturday’s Lexus Hotham Handicap (2500m) as insurance in case more horses than expected are third acceptors for the Cup.

“He’ll be nommed for the Lexus but I’m 99 per cent that he’ll be going into the Cup,” O’Brien said.

“He’s come through the Caulfield Cup in great fashion and he’ll gallop on the course proper at Flemington on Tuesday.

“I believe he’s a genuine top-four chance.”

O’Brien is hopeful he can provide Craig Williams with his first Melbourne Cup triumph and end his run of spring major seconds.

“Craig’s run second in the first two majors (Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate), so hopefully he can go one better in the Melbourne Cup,” O’Brien said.

Cummings said the decision to spell Avilius was based on the import’s Cox Plate performance.

“We’re not going to pay up for the Melbourne Cup,” he said. “He’s going to the paddock.”

Trainer Danny O'Brien checks on Vow and Declare at Flemington. Picture Jay Town

Superstar Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira is on standby to ride Cup favourite Constantinople, pending Glen Boss’s appeal against careless riding.

David Hayes provisionally snapped up Hong Kong-based Moreira for the TAB $7 Cup elect after Boss was sidelined for six meetings for his ride aboard Attention Run in the Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick on Saturday.

A luckless Caulfield Cup fourth, Constantinople could provide “Magic Man” Moreira with his first Cup victory after his narrow second on Heartbreak City to Almandin in 2016.

“If Glen can’t off the suspension, it will be Joao Moreira,” David Hayes said.

“Joao is on standby if Glen is unsuccessful.”

Boss will start his suspension after riding Kolding in the $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Boss indicated on Saturday he would consider appealing the ban.

Jockey Joao Moreira is set to ride Constantinople in the Melbourne Cup.

The triple Melbourne Cup-winning rider secured the mount on Constantinople last week after the ownership group of the colt’s ownership group punted Luke Nolen.

Lindsay Park will have a minimum of two Cup runners, with Dwayne Dunn booked to ride Rostropovich.

Neufbosc, currently 33rd in the Cup order of entry, won’t accept for the $8 million Flemington feature on November 5 unless he runs well in Saturday’s Lexus Hotham Handicap (2500m).

Stablehand Will Evans walks Constantinople after trackwork at Flemington.

Meanwhile, Ben Melham intends appealing an eight-meeting careless riding suspension from Saturday’s Cox Plate meeting.

Melham reluctantly pleaded guilty to careless riding aboard Broadwayandfourth in the Crockett Stakes (1200m), telling stewards he had been disadvantaged by riding with a broken stirrup iron.

He also argued other riders contributed to the interference.

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Melham needs to have his ban reduced by one meeting to be free to ride at Saturday’s blockbuster Victoria Derby meeting.

He is booked to ride Caulfield Cup third placegetter Mirage Dance in the Melbourne Cup.

Originally published as Avilius Melbourne Cup plans abandoned, Vow and Declare likely starter