Melbourne Cup winner Almandin out of Zipping Classic as owner Lloyd Williams considers Sydney

His owner, Lloyd Williams, made the decision after watching trackwork at his Mt Macedon property.

Williams said his other Melbourne Cup runners Bondi Beach and Assign also would be spelled.

But Gallante, who also ran in the Melbourne Cup, could start in the Zipping Classic.

Williams is considering bringing them all back for the Sydney carnival.

Who Shot Thebarman, which ran fifth in the Melbourne Cup, is the new favourite for the Zipping Classic with the Williams runners out.

The Godolphin challenge for more spring riches will continue however with Big Orange, Beautiful Romance and Secret Number set to contest the $300,000 race.

And Cup winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy will be given the chance to bookend the spring carnival in triumph when he partners another Godolphin runner, Qewy in Saturday’s Sandown Cup (3200m).

Dominant with wins in the Melbourne Cup, Thousand Guineas, Lexus Stakes, Geelong Cup and Bendigo Cup, McEvoy will take over on Qewy from Craig Williams, who partnered the import when fourth in the Melbourne Cup.

Irish trainer Willie Mullins decided not give Wicklow Brave another run here after his brutal run in the Melbourne Cup.

The Sandown meeting effectively marks the end of the international involvement for the carnival with most of the visitors due to fly out next week.

Charlie Appleby, who trains Qewy, won the Geelong and Bendigo Cups, the Queen Elizabeth and Lexus Stakes and was runner-up with Scottish in the Caulfield Cup.

Appleby is already plotting a 2017, possibly in time for the Sydney autumn and, ominously, with a larger team.

*Williams’ pursuit of a sixth Melbourne Cup next year is unlikely to include star stayer Order Of St George as he and trainer Aidan O’Brien chase more Royal Ascot glory.

Williams indicated O’Brien was keen for Order Of St George to try to emulate the celebrated deeds of Ballydoyle great Yeats, the only horse in history to win four Group 1 Gold Cups (4000m).

Order Of St George won this season’s Gold Cup, his sixth consecutive win before suffering three successive defeats — including a third in the Prix de l’arc de Triomphe at Chantilly.

Installed as early favourite for this year’s Melbourne Cup, Order Of St George thrashed 16 rivals at Royal Ascot in June before Williams and O’Brien decided the horse would remain in Europe.

It now appears the Melbourne Cup has been removed as a possibility for Order Of St George, although Williams quartet of entries this year, including winner Alamandin, could go around again.

And the O’Brien-trained Sir Isaac Newton, which Williams bought in to before it ran seventh in this year’s Caulfield Cup, has also been transferred to Robert Hickmott at his Mt Macedon stable rather than returning overseas.