Former French stayer Athabascan is set to return to Flemington, aiming for a spot in the Melbourne Cup this November.

The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained horse will contest the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) on Saturday, with the winner earning a ballot exemption for the Melbourne Cup.

Athabascan has raced at Flemington twice, both times chasing a Melbourne Cup exemption. His previous outings include an eighth-place finish in The Bart Cummings (2500m) in 2023 and a second-place finish in The Archer (2500m), just before the 2023 Melbourne Cup.

Since then, Athabascan has raced exclusively in Sydney, securing three wins, including a victory in the ATC St Leger (2600m) at Randwick last October.

The team has kept the stayer fresh for Saturday’s race, with Charlton noting, “He hasn’t done a lot since the Sydney Cup… so it was just a case of taking him to Warwick Farm for the day and giving him a hit-out.”

Ben Melham, currently participating in the Tour d’Horse charity event, will ride Athabascan on Saturday.