Racing Melbourne Cup: Godolphin's Mamool may be favourite for the Tooheys New Melbourne Cup in the early hours of tomorrow morning, but trainer Saeed bin Suroor has warned punters not to overlook his other entry in the race, Millstreet.

But Godolphin are confident Millstreet has sound claims of his own as the stable attempts to add the Melbourne Cup to their impressive list of big-race successes.

"He is not a pacemaker, he will run his own race," bin Suroor said yesterday. "The horse has speed. He is 23 in the draw, but I am not worried about that, he will handle it and take up his position early.

"Millstreet is an improving horse. There will be no surprise if Millstreet comes really close." On his latest start Millstreet finished fifth of six over a mile and a half at Doncaster in September but his trainer has been excited by the way the horse has thrived since arriving Down Under.

He said: "I was quite disappointed last time he ran, but he has come back very well. He is a different horse since he has been in Melbourne, he is in good condition, very relaxed and a happy horse. I am very pleased with him."

Bin Suroor plans for jockey Frankie Dettori to slot Mamool in the middle of the 24-runner field early before making his move. Mamool goes into the Melbourne Cup on the back of two Group One successes in Germany and is the horse the likes of trainers James Given and Willie Mullins would choose of all the overseas contenders.

"Mamool ran at Ascot last year over two miles and won. This year he has won Group One races twice in Germany. He is a professional horse," said bin Suroor.

"Mamool is a different class. He is the best horse in Germany. He is top-class in Europe. Mamool will sit in the middle of the field and I will be happy with that."

Jockeys Dean McKeown, who will ride Hugs Dancer, and David Condon on Holy Orders both yesterday stressed the importance of riding a race that is comfortable to the horse rather than altering their normal style to fit in with Australian ways.

Condon sat on Holy Orders for the first time in Melbourne yesterday and began to coax the moody gelding to start work after a week in which he has, quite literally, dug his heels in and refused to gallop.

Although Holy Orders played up early doors yesterday, Condon eventually had him settled enough for a canter and a good walk. "He can be a bit tricky, he has an off day but he has never done it on the racecourse and I think he'll be all right on Tuesday," said Condon. "We have a bad barrier, he's in 21, so I am going to track across to the rail if I can.

"We'll be out the back for most of the race and then introduce him half-way down the back and turning in and see how he goes from there. The ground shouldn't affect him. I walked the track yesterday and I'd say he'll be all right. "We'll ride him the way we normally ride him."

McKeown has enjoyed an easier preparation on Hugs Dancer, turning in a promising seventh in the Caulfield Cup, which gave the jockey an insight into what he might expect: "They set off a lot quicker than they do back home. The first two furlongs in the Caulfield Cup were pretty hectic, but then when they get to a bend they all slow up and stack the horses up, which we wouldn't do back home. But you ride your race to suit the horse, rather than the horse to suit the race," he said.

Jardines Lookout finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup last year and has not been too consistent this season but he did come fourth in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and was a short-head second to Persian Punch in the Goodwood Cup.