Premier Aussie jockey Darren Beadman is confident champion Hong Kong stayer Mighty High, who he rode to victory in the Group 1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday night, will make a genuine Melbourne Cup contender if trainer John Moore brings them to Victoria for the coveted Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival next season.

In a nail-biting finish in the Chater Cup, five-year-old Peintre Celebre gelding Mighty High was able to hold off the Peter Ho’s defending champ Mr Medici, ridden by Melbourne Cup winning jockey Gerald Mosse, by a nose to score victory in the $1.5 million feature and prove their potential as a Melbourne Cup candidate.

The French import impressed Hall of Fame jockey Beadman in the run and Moore is now seriously considering an Australian spring campaign with Mighty High.

“Darren got off and said he thought this would be a perfect horse for the Melbourne Cup,” Moore said after Mighty High’s win.

The Chater Cup win earned Mighty High a ballot exemption for the Melbourne Cup, the world’s richest handicap running at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November, and was the 94^th elite level victory for Beadman.

Beadman has twice claimed Melbourne Cup glory riding the great Kingston Town to victory in 1990 and most recently with Saintly in 1996.

“John (Sadler) hasn’t sat down with Mighty High’s owners yet to talk about their plans for next season but this horse is a very tough stayer,” Beadman told The Daily Telegraph after partnering Mighty High in the Chater Cup.

“He can run along at a good speed and just keep going.

“He’s a natural staying talent.”

If sent over the Melbourne Cup, Mighty High would join stablemates, Champions Mile winner Xtension and Irian, on the trip down under.

Xtension is set to be bought over to target the prestigious Cox Plate while Irian’s target would be the Caulfield Cup and Beadman believes both are well-suited to the spring features in Melbourne.

“John’s got a good team of quality stayers,” Beadman said.

“With the spring a week earlier this year, it fits in with our International Day in Hong Kong.

“Irian ran third in the Singapore Cup last Sunday, getting home better than anything in the race, so a Caulfield Cup would be ideal.

“Xtension won the Champions Mile last start and would love racing at Moonee Valley in a Cox Plate.”

The $2.5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) is scheduled to run at Caulfield on Saturday October 15, followed by the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday October 22 and then the ‘race that stops a nation’, the $6 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on Tuesday November 1, 2011.