Punch ready for Melbourne test

With a week to go to the latest renewal of the Tooheys New Melbourne Cup, Ross Arnott reckons Persian Punch is in better condition at this stage than when he first contested the two mile event in 1998.

Arnott is overseeing the preparation of the Goodwood Cup winner until trainer David Elsworth flies in on Friday and feels that the eight-year-old gelding will be fully tuned up when the gates open and the 24-strong field burst into action in front of the expected huge crowd at Flemington.

'I`m very pleased with him, he`s done better this time,' said Arnott after cantering Persian Punch twice round his temporary base at Sandown racetrack, 20 miles outside Melbourne.

'He`s eaten really well since he arrived and I`m delighted with him. Nothing has gone wrong. The horse has handled things a bit better but he is that much more experienced this time round.'

Persian Punch finished third behind New Zealand challenger Jezabeel after leading round the final bend on his last visit to Flemington but Arnott is hopeful of better things come next Tuesday in what will be the gelding`s final career outing.

'If he gets a strong pace and things work out he`ll run a big race,' he said.

Meanwhile, on a cold and wet morning at Sandown much more akin to Newmarket in April than spring in Australia, the Godolphin representatives Marienbard and Give The Slip produced some good work over the last five furlongs of their morning spin in the rain.

With the track heavy, lead horse Hatha Anna had two lengths to spare up on Marienbard at the 1000 metres mark but the latter passed the post a neck up on his work companion.

The other representative of the boys in blue, Give The Slip, worked on his own but covered the same ground in what observers considered a better time.

Frankie Dettori is thought likely to ride Yorkshire Cup winner Marienbard, with Richard Hills on Give The Slip.

Give The Slip landed last year`s Tote Ebor when trained by Amanda Perrett but has acted as ahigh-class pacemaker this term, mainly for stablemate Fantastic Light.

Meanwhile, Native Jazz, who had been a leading local fancy, is to miss the big race after disappointing in the Moonee Valley Cup on Saturday.

Coral betting: 3-1 Universal Prince, 7-1 Ethereal, 10-1 Big Pat, Rain Gauge, Sky Heights, 12-1 Persian Punch, Marienbard, 14-1 Give The Slip, Kaapstad Way, 16-1 Freemason, 20-1 Sale Of Century, The Secondmortgage, 33-1 Caitano.