Legendary French trainer Andre Fabre has won all the big races in Europe and now OTI Racing is hoping he can add a Melbourne Cup to his amazing CV with a horse called Only A Pleasure, reports Racing Network.
A regally bred four-year-old by champion European staying sire Montjeu, Only A Pleasure is the horse OTI believes could be its Cups stayer this Spring.
“Only A Pleasure could be the one for us this Spring,” Terry Henderson told Racing Network today.
“He’s trained by Andre Fabre and he’ll go to the Prix Kergorlay next before hopefully coming here,” he added.
Fabre finished second in the Prix Kergorlay (Deauville, 3000 metres, August 18) last year with a horse called Brigantin, who then came to Melbourne and had just one run when third behind OTI’s Gatewood in the Geelong Cup.
He didn’t make the cut-off for the Melbourne Cup and has not raced since his Geelong Cup run.
Fabre, who has won the Prix Kergorlay three times since 1980, is following a proven path to the Melbourne Cup by going to the Deauville race, as Americain won it in 2010 before coming to Melbourne to win the Cup.
“We’ll know a lot more after the Prix Kergorlay but this is the horse we’re looking for big things from.”
Only A Pleasure has raced just seven times for three wins, including a strong win in the Listed Prix Michel Houyvet Stakes (for three-year-olds) at Deauville over 3000 metres, on August 15 last year.
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