Changingoftheguard is on his way to Flemington.(credit:
Johnthurm)
The former Aidan O’Brien trained Changingoftheguard remains on course for a tilt at the 2009 Melbourne Cup, despite a late setback.
The Ballydoyle Ebor second is reported to have been suffering from a foot abscess earlier in the week but he has now made a swift recovery and he looks set to take his chance at Flemington.
The colt remains in the reckoning for Saturday’s Mackinnon Stakes as well but he is almost certain to be left out of that contest with his new trainer David Haynes confirming that the Melbourne Cup is his number one objective.
''I had a meeting with the owners and we had been leaning towards the Melbourne Cup anyway and it sounds as if that's the only option left,'' Hayes explained.
''I think he's a weight-for-age horse with a handicapper's weight (50.5 kilograms) and so we had been leaning towards the Melbourne Cup anyway.
''He's coming along very strongly and he's really impressed me the way he's progressed."
Changingoftheguard finished second in the totesport Ebor at York when trained in Ireland, before he disappointed connections when only finishing sixth behind Mastery in the Ladbrokes St Leger on his final start in Europe.
Changingofheguard is 25/1 (BlueSquare) to win the Flemington showpiece.