Cross Counter's trainer Charlie Appleby is hopeful the horse will return to Melbourne in 2019 to defend his Melbourne Cup after his stunning last to first victory in Tuesday's race.
The northern hemisphere three-year-old repeated Rekindling's effort in 2017 to enter the race lightly-raced and with a light weight to give Godolphin their first Melbourne Cup winner after 20 years of trying.
Charlie Appleby (left) and strapper Tash Eaton of team Godolphin pose with Cross Counter at Werribee on Wednesday.Credit:AAP
As a gelding, Cross Counter will race for the rest of his career and a plan will be mapped out for him after he spends time spelling in Dubai.
"He is a young horse. We will just let the dust settle," Appleby said.
"I'm hopeful we will be back next year."
The plan to run Cross Counter in this year's Melbourne Cup was hatched about three months ago with the horse finishing in the top four placings in five races in England during June and August over 2000-2400 metres.
Appleby said he discussed with winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy the best type of horse to bring out for the race having failed in previous attempts with horses such as Qewy and they took a lead from Rekindling's win the previous year in just his 10th start.
"[Rekindling] changed our views on what we might need to bring down," Appleby said.
McEvoy told Appleby he needed a good hearty horse with a light weight to win the Melbourne Cup and Cross Counter fit the bill.
"He ticked every box going into the race. He was a class animal off a light weight," Appleby said.
Appleby admitted the three-year-old allowance helped but defended the policy that throws such horses in at a light weight, arguing that it's there for a reason and only special northern hempisphere three-year-olds can travel such a long way and still run well.
"He was a younger horse taking on the older horses. In that calibre of race you genuinely need the experience but when you have a class horse it can outweigh that inexperience with his class," Appleby said.
The horse also overcame a cut to its leg, which kept Cross Counter boxed for four days with Appleby saying he had a sharp intake of breath when he first heard the news.
However he was reassured when he spoke to Godolphin's vet and praised Cross Counter for having the mentality to cope with the break.
"Most horses would be bursting out their skin when you have taken a horse to that level of fitness and then all of a sudden you have dropped them back," Appleby said.
Appleby said Cross Counter will leave Australia on Sunday as a Melbourne Cup winner and time will tell where he ends up, with last year's winner Rekindling unraced since last year's win.
"He is a horse that deserves this," Appleby said.
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