Marmelo fighting fit after French win

All roads lead back to the Melbourne Cup for Marmelo following his Group Two victory in France.

The Hughie Morrison-trained stayer was not disgraced when ninth in the Cup last November and connections are planning a return.

Marmelo might just have one more run before heading to Australia, after showing his fitness by lifting the Prix Maurice de Nieuil at ParisLongchamp on Saturday.

“He’s very good. He got home on Sunday and looked happy, king of his domain,”Morrison said.

“I don’t where next. There are lots of options. The end game has to be the Melbourne Cup, as he is half-owned by Australians.

“Having said that, it does make one slightly more tactical about what one runs him in. We’ve just run him in a Group Two without a penalty and he’s probably run to a mark of last year, so the handicap mark should remain the same.

“We don’t want to increase his rating, really, so if we went for a Group One if there was one and went close we might scupper any hope in the Melbourne Cup.

“Ideally he’d run in another Group Two without a penalty.

“There are other options – the Kergorlay, or the the Grand Prix de Deauville over a mile and a half (2400m).”

Marmelo is on the third line of TAB betting at $21 with Japanese horse Chestnut Coast the $15 favourite ahead of recent Northumberland Plate winner Withhold at $17.