Kris Lees will rely on Mustajeer as his sole Melbourne Cup representative, and has booked a former winner of the race to ride him.
Lees this afternoon confirmed Michael Rodd, who landed the 2007 renewal on his 2006 Victoria Derby winner Efficient, as Mustajeer's jockey in next Tuesday's $7.75m Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Rodd also was narrowly beaten on Red Cadeaux by Dunaden in the closest Cup finish in 2011.
He returned to Melbourne earlier this year after a successful five-year stint in Singapore when racing shut down there for a period as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mustajeer joined Lees' team from Ireland after winning the prestigious Ebor Handicap (2787) at England's York racecourse in August last year, and ran sixth to Mer De Glace in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) before nothing went right when finishing down the course in the Melbourne Cup.
MUSTAJEER winning the Parramatta Cup Photo by Racing and Sports
"Mustajeer finished ninth (of 18) in The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick on October 3, and then eighth (also of 18) to Verry Elleegant in the Caulfield Cup, also 2400m, on October 17.
"He has trained on well in Melbourne, and will go into next Tuesday's race as a very fit horse."
Forty-five horses remained in the Cup after third acceptances were taken this morning, and Mustajeer's stablemates Mugatoo and Raheen House were not amongst them.
Eight-year-old gelding Mustajeer is guaranteed a start with 55kg. He is currently 12th in order of entry, with the final field (24 can run) to be decided at the conclusion of Saturday's Derby meeting at Flemington.
Lees is yet to confirm whether Mugatoo, who confirmed his weight-for-age potential with an outstanding fourth (after covering more ground than any other runner) in last Saturday's $5m Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley, will race again in Melbourne this spring.
"We'll make a decision later in the week whether he remains in work for the Mackinnon Stakes ($2m Group 1 wfa contest at 2000m) at Flemington on Saturday week or has a break," he said.
Lees won the $4m wfa Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick four years ago during The Championships with Lucia Valentina, and considers that an ideal autumn Group 1 objective with his lightly-raced six-year-old gelding.
Raheen House has been returned to Newcastle for a break, with the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) – in which he ran an unlucky third this year after winning the Chairman's Quality (2600m) a week earlier – at Randwick in April a likely target.
Lees has sent Tactical Advantage and Zaniah to Melbourne, and nominated both for Saturday's Group 2 TAB Stakes (1200m) at Flemington at the opening of the four-day Cup carnival.
However, Tactical Advantage is likely to be kept for Tuesday's Listed Sprint (1200m) at Flemington; a race he won last year with 58kg.
Zaniah instead will contest Saturday's Furphy Stakes (1100m) against her own sex, and James McDonald has the mount.
. Lees is unlikely to have a runner in Saturday's $7.5m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens.
He is considering accepting in the morning with last-start Kensington winner Enchanted Heart, but doubts she will get a start in the capacity line-up of 18.
Top Prospect was entered for the $500,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m), but will remain at Lees' Gold Coast base and run at Doomben on Saturday.
Last Saturday's impressive Randwick winner The Bopper almost certainly will have a short break, with Lees aiming him at the $1m Inglis Sprint (1200m) for three-year-olds at Randwick on February 6.
The Bopper has raced only four times for three wins; his sole defeat being a close second to Black Magnum in record time at Canterbury on October 5.
The Nicconi gelding is named after the late colourful Newcastle policeman John "Bopper" Mooney, who passed away in September 2018.
. Today's Newcastle meeting has been transferred to tomorrow, but Lees this afternoon was unsure whether he would run topweight Occupy (apprentice Dylan Gibbons) with 61kg in the Cessnock Cup (1900m) if the races go ahead.
