RACING:DERMOT WELD'S immediate international focus is on Famous Name's Group One attempt in Canada this Sunday, but the Curragh trainer said yesterday longer-term Melbourne Cup plans remain fluid for Rite Of Passage and Profound Beauty.
Rite Of Passage missed out on last weekend's Irish Leger after not pleasing Weld in a pre-classic gallop and hasn't been seen in action since his dramatic Ascot Gold Cup triumph in June.
Profound Beauty, in contrast, has had a busy campaign and found only Sans Frontieres too good for her in that Irish Leger three days ago.
Both horses are entered in the Flemington spectacular on the first Tuesday in November, a race Profound Beauty was fifth in two years ago.
However, Weld plans using the next nine days before the European Melbourne Cup hopefuls have to enter quarantine to finalise his plans.
"They don't have to enter quarantine yet so there is no need to make a decision. They are still possible runners," he said.
Weld famously threw open the door to the Melbourne Cup with Vintage Crop's historic 1993 success and remains the only European trainer to capture the prize after Media Puzzle also landed "the race that stops a nation".
Rite Of Passage is owned by Dr Ronan Lambe, while Profound Beauty is owned by the Moyglare Stud, whose manager Stan Cosgrove pointed to ground conditions in Australia as an issue.
"The problem might be the ground. If it is rock-hard it would be pointless running, and they don't water out there," he said yesterday.
"She is perfect after her race at the weekend and it was a good performance on very testing ground. The Melbourne Cup is under consideration but we haven't made a final decision."
Unlike 2008, Profound Beauty is weighted high enough in this year's Melbourne Cup (54kg) to allow Pat Smullen ride if she does run.
Weld's stable jockey will also be on board Famous Name in Sunday night's $1 million (€755,000) Woodbine Mile in Toronto.
Michael Hourigan has indicated his high-class chaser Mossbank is set to make his return to action under topweight in tomorrow's Guinness Kerry National at Listowel.
Mossbank hasn't been seen since finishing third in the 2008 Punchestown Gold Cup, and leg problems have plagued a horse that was also runner-up in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham festival.
"It's nearly 100 per cent that he'll run," said the Co Limerick trainer. "He is in good form but he has had his problems so we take it one day at a time with him. When they've had leg trouble some of them come back proper and some don't, so we'll have to see.
"They can do all their homework but you don't really know until you hit the track," added Hourigan, whose other Kerry National candidate is Dancing Tornado.
