AIDAN O’Brien hopes Ryan Moore has the key to unlock The Cliffsofmoher’s quirks as the champion trainer tries to add further lustre to Ireland’s Melbourne Cup record.

Moore will fly from Churchill Downs in Kentucky to ride the Caulfield Cup third placegetter for the first time since the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20.

Trainer O’Brien, who will watch the Melbourne Cup from Barbados, hopes Moore’s skill will offset the raider’s 56.5kg handicap.

“He obviously is a very classy horse,” O’Brien said from the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Churchill Downs.

“He has plenty of weight, but we were very happy with his two runs and we’re looking forward to seeing how we go.

“The Melbourne Cup is a tough, difficult race and you are never sure what horse is going to be suited or what is going to work, but we always thought that he’s a horse that could run a big race in it.

“Ryan will probably take his time on him and we’ll see what will happen.”

Owner Nick Williams said tactics and tempo in the Caulfield Cup meant Hugh Bowman could not have finished any closer to winner Best Solution.

“If you look at the (sectional) times from the Caulfield Cup, which was a real sit-sprint, he (The Cliffsofmoher) has run a blinder from where he was in the run,” Williams said.

“They just can’t run home any quicker than he ran home. I think he’s in great form.”

The Cliffsofmoher produced the fastest last 800m and 600m Caulfield Cup sectionals in a slowly run race.

Williams said Moore’s familiarity with the horse was critical as the Englishman bids to add to his Cup tally after victory in 2014 with Protectionist.

“He’s got a couple of tricks, but Ryan knows him very well, which is a huge advantage,” Williams said.

“He’s got that turn of foot and if you look at him as a horse, he’s got Australia written all over him.

“With The Cliffsofmoher, we wanted a cosy draw and we got that with nine.”

Stablemate Yucatan has drifted to $5.50 but retains favouritism.

Williams said Yucatan has thrived since O’Brien decided to bypass the Caulfield Cup with the explosive stayer.

“He’s certainly come on since the (Herbert Power),” he said. “Hindsight is showing to us, maybe not financially, it was the right decision in skipping the Caulfield Cup with him. I think he’ll run a mighty race on Tuesday. He’s really improved.”

BARMAN’S LAST SHOUT?
WHO Shot Thebarman’s future won’t be decided until his fourth Melbourne Cup run, with his owners to assess whether he is retired or races on in the autumn.

Whatever the case, the veteran is going to have a nice paddock — and plenty of love — for the rest of his days.

“He’s is a grand old trooper,” part-owner Jane Nugent-O’Leary said. “He is like a member of the family, and always will be.”

No 10-year-old has won the Melbourne Cup, but the four O’Leary brothers and their wives — dairy farmers from New Zealand — haven’t ruled out a fairytale finish to a fantastic journey with the horse that has won $4.5 million.

“We are forever hopeful,” Nugent-O’Leary said.

“We’ve seen before that anything can happen in the Cup. Look at what happened with Prince Of Penzance a few years ago when he was a 100-1 shot.

“Barman doesn’t know how old he is.”