NZ star Mongolian Khan is likely to likely to do all his racing in Australia this Spring, reports racing.com.
Andrew Forsman, who trains in partnership with Murray Baker, said a plan had not yet been set with the dual Group 1 Derby winner but it was unlikely he would be seen at the races in his homeland again this year.
“Almost certainly he’ll do all his racing in Australia,” Forsman told Racing.com’s Racing Ahead on RSN.
“He’ll just target the typical weight-for-age lead-ups, I don’t think Murray’s mapped out an exact plan yet, but I’m sure he’ll be kicking off around September some time and just working him through the normal races.”
Forsman confirmed the $6 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m), run at Flemington on 3 November, was the key Spring target for Mongolian Khan.
The son of Holy Roman Emperor has been in work for more than six weeks after a five-week spell following his win in the Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick in April.
That was his second Group 1 Derby success this year, having won the New Zealand Derby on 28 February.
“He’s coming up really well,” Forsman said. “He’s such a natural sort of athlete he’s almost come up too soon, so we’re just keeping him ticking over at the moment and waiting to get a trial into him, probably in early August.
“He’s always been quite a reasonably weak three-year-old but being a colt’s helped him I think and now that he’s thickened up as an older horse he looks the full package now.”
Mongolian Khan shares the $21 third line in TAB’s Melbourne Cup market, which is headed byHartnell at $15.