French trainer Pascal Bary has the Melbourne spring carnival well and truly on his radar and not solely with Spiritjim, winner of Sunday's Grand Prix de Chantilly (2400m) at Chantilly, reports Racing Network.
Racing Victoria’s international consultant Leigh Jordon said apart from Spiritjim, Bary is also considering a Cox Plate campaign with Smoking Sun, runner-up in last month’s Singapore International Cup at Kranji.
Jordon said Bary had been very bullish about the prospects this season of Spiritjim, who has now won his past four starts.
“I spoke to Pascal in Singapore and he said Melbourne is definitely on his agenda with both horses,” Jordon said.
“He said the fact that French horses could now do quarantine at Chantilly was a big plus and made bringing horses to Melbourne more attractive.”
Spiritjim’s latest Group 2 win brought with it a ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup.
Jordon said Bary’s original plan had been to step Spiritjim, a son of Galileo, up to the Group 1 Prix de St Cloud at Longchamp on June 29.
He said connections of both the Now We Can and Norse King, second and third respectively behind Spiritjim, had also expressed interest in the spring carnival.