Gold Mount won a guaranteed spot in the Ebor Handicap in the Listed 2800m Grand Cup Stakes at York over the weekend. The Ebor is held on the same/course distance and the last three winners there have subsequently contested The Melbourne Cup (2016: Heartbreak City, 2017: Nakeeta, 2018: Muntahaa). There is no guarantee he takes his earned position though, as it's also a handicapped race:

"In terms of the Ebor I think the handicapper will give him plenty of weight. He's a small horse, a big weight in a top handicap might be tough for him,” his trainer Ian Williams said.

"He's been sent to me to be prepared for the Melbourne Cup, so we'll work back from there."

You can watch his Grand Cup Stakes run here: http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.co...eplays/3/94641/

Gold Mount races at the rear before easily accounting for the rest of the field in the straight. As impressive as it looks, it's in a small field, he's a 6yo who will likely be weighted such that the same tactics won't work as well in the Melbourne Cup, and the time was 5secs slower than what Marmelo ran to win the same race the year previous.

Gold Mount is an English horse who spent a spent a couple of seasons in Hong Kong. There, the owners decided to aim him at the Melbourne Cup. Shipping him back to the UK seems like a roundabout way of going about things, but there are so many more opportunities to qualify by that route.

This was his first black-type win, which was preceded by 13 Group starts for 3 minor placings. His prior race was in the Dubai Gold Cup, his first over the 3200m distance, where Cross Counter beat him by 8 lengths (with Gold Mount carrying 2.5kg extra).

Trainer Ian Williams was here last year with Magic Circle, who finished 16th in the Cup. (Magic Circle has since contested just the one race, resuming in a 2700m Group 3 at Chester, finishing in 3rd position and 8.5L behind the winner Morando. More encouragingly, in 2nd position - and only 0.5L ahead - was Kew Gardens).

Gold Mount is currently at $26 in Melbourne Cup futures with Magic Circle at $61.