The Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin galloper Frontiersman is on the hunt for a Melbourne Cup 2017 bid down under this spring racing next-up at Newmarket in the UK this week.

English trainer Charlie Appleby is preparing Frontiersman for a likely 2017 Melbourne Cup bid down under after his success in Victoria last spring with Qewy (pictured). Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The iconic $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) run at Flemington on Tuesday November 7 could be on the cards for the Dubawi stallion should he show his potential in Thursday’s Group 3 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes (2400m).

Frontiersman’s last trip to the Newmarket track produced a win back in May carting a hefty 60.5kg to victory, while his latest start produced a brave second to the Aidan O’Brien-trained Highland Reel in the Group 1 Coronation Cup (2420m) at Epsom Downs last month.

The galloper subsequently missed a start at the Royal Ascot carnival due to a minor setback, but is right on track again Appleby said this week.

“He came out of the Coronation Cup well and we intended to run him in the Hardwicke Stakes, only for him to scope dirty and there was not quite enough time to get him ready for Ascot,” he said on the Godolphin website.

“He did a nice piece of work last Saturday and, provided he maintains a clean bill of health, it’s all systems go for the Princess Of Wales.

“A repeat of his Coronation Cup run should put him bang in contention.

“He was stepping up from a handicap to a Group One in the Coronation Cup so for sure that was a career best for him.

“We didn’t run him there on a whim – he’s regally bred and had been showing us all the right signs at home – and his performance justified the decision to supplement him.

“Good ground would be perfect for him [on Thursday], he wouldn’t want it testing, but anything quicker should be no problem.”

The well-bred four-year-old is currently one of the early picks in pre-nomination Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $21 in markets led by German raider Red Cardinal ($15).

Appleby saddled-up two international Melbourne Cup horses in last year’s field, his best finisher being Geelong Cup winner Qewy who ran a brave fourth.

Qewy also went on to win the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) later that month as a consolation prize, while stablemate Oceanographer finished a mid-field 12^th in the ‘race that stops a nation’.

To back your early Melbourne Cup 2017 tips in futures markets head to Ladbrokes.com.au now.