The scales are tipping towards a Melbourne Cup start for Irish St Leger winner Sans Frontieres with trainer Jeremy Noseda saying it was the favoured option.Speculation the two-kilo penalty issued by Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter on Monday would be a deal breaker was watered down by Noseda.Owner Sir Robert Ogden's racing manager Barry Simpson said the penalty had given cause for thought but the trainer said the trip to Melbourne was still very much the plan."My gut feeling is

The scales are tipping towards a Melbourne Cup start for Irish St Leger winner Sans Frontieres with trainer Jeremy Noseda saying it was the favoured option.

Speculation the two-kilo penalty issued by Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter on Monday would be a deal breaker was watered down by Noseda.

Owner Sir Robert Ogden's racing manager Barry Simpson said the penalty had given cause for thought but the trainer said the trip to Melbourne was still very much the plan.

"My gut feeling is that the Melbourne Cup is still number one on everyone's agenda," Noseda told Sydney's Sky Sports Radio.

"I've had a chat with Sir Robert and Barry Simpson and all our plans with the horse - quarantine, feed, (micro) chipping - are all arranged to go to Melbourne.

"We're going to give ourselves a few days to talk it over and think about it.

"If we go into quarantine we'll be heading to Melbourne."

Sans Frontieres is due to go into quarantine in England on September 23.

Noseda was speaking from Kentucky where he has been attending the yearling sales, forcing him to miss Saturday's race.

But he hasn't missed the handicapping debate with the penalty elevating Sans Frontieres to 57kg.

Noseda said he believed Sans Frontieres' form leading into the St Leger was reflected in the Group One race.

"What bothered me about it (penalty) was going into the race if he reproduced his previous two runs which the Australian handicapper had had available to him to judge him, as long as he ran that race he was going to be good enough to win the Irish St Leger," he said.

"I think that's all he did. To me he didn't show any level of ability better on Saturday than he did in his two previous runs.

"But in relation to the other European horses I still feel he is quite fairly handicapped."

The prospect of firm ground is the latest reason from the Dermot Weld camp regarding Irish St Leger runner-up Profound Beauty's possible non-participation.

But a firm track is something Noseda is looking forward to with Sans Frontieres.

"I still believe his ideal racing surface is fast ground," he said.

"He acts on soft ground and now I've had two top-flight jockeys who've ridden him on soft ground - Johnny Murtagh and Olivier Peslier - both said he's won despite the ground.

"I feel he is a horse when he gets on a sounder surface he's capable of a better performance.

"From what I've seen in most years the ground is quick in Melbourne."

Last year's winner Shocking remains the $8 Cup favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of So You Think and Sans Frontieres at $13 and Profound Beauty at $16.