Top Victorian trainer Tony Noonan is ready to clean up at the Spring Racing Carnival and has the top prize, the 2010 Melbourne Cup pencilled in as the major target for his imported galloper Buccellati.

British-bred six-year-old Buccellati will be aimed at the feature spring racing double, Noonan preparing to nominate him for the Cox Plate and then the time-honoured Melbourne Cup.

The $3 million WS Cox Plate (2040m) takes place at Moonee Valley on October 23 and then the 150^th edition of the $6 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) will light-up the Flemington track on November 2 as part of the four-day Cup Carnival.

Buccellati, a son of American sire Soviet Star, has been enjoying an extended spell after transferring to Noonan’s Mornington stables from Andrew Balding in England.

He has been in Australian for four months now, before which Buccellati ran a gallant third in the Group 1 International Stakes (2092) in Europe before he failed to fire in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) finishing ninth.

To date Buccellati has won eight of his 26 career starts for $869,528 in prizemoney, which Noonan will be hoping to add to this spring.

Noonan has a number of other classy runners in preparations for a spring carnival assault including his star Testa Rossa mare Ortensia and the promising Kutchinsky.

Three-year-old gelding Kutchinsky has enjoyed some great on-track success over the last two months, winning the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben in May.

The son of Anabaa then backed up with a courageous run in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m), finishing second to Dariana.

The $2.5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 16 is Kutchinsky’s primary spring target, with an earlier run in Sydney possible before he heads to Melbourne.

Nominations for the 2010 Melbourne Cup, due to jump at 3pm on Tuesday November 3 as Race 7 at Flemington, close on August 3.

We will be first to publish the list of Melbourne Cup nominations and then the 2010 Melbourne Cup final field and form on October 30.

So bookmark this page and head back to get the latest Melbourne Cup news before jumping in on the exciting betting markets [sportsbet] will have open on the world’s richest handicap.

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