Emerging stayer Glentaneous could hit the road on the hunt for autumn riches after his dominant Bagot Handicap win at Flemington on New Year's Day.

Melbourne Cup-winning trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman claimed another feature success at Flemington when Glentaneous handled a sharp rise in class from his last-start win in a Benchmark 78 win at The Valley.

Glentaneous raced below his best in his maiden Australian campaign earlier this year but the import has improved sharply in his second local preparation.

"He's had a couple of niggling issues in behind that have just held him up getting to the races," Freedman Racing Manager Brad Taylor said.

"He had another break and the team have done an outstanding job this preparation at both Pinecliff and Flemington.

"We've got those issues under control now and we always thought he was a progressive stayer."Taylor said Glentaneous could find himself in Group races in Sydney and Adelaide during the autumn months.

"Once he ran second first-up at Sandown, Sam said ‘let's target the Bagot'," Taylor said.

"We worked back from there and the plan has come off.

"He's a horse that we've always thought an Adelaide Cup might be a nice target for him.

"These Europeans, they can tick over for a long time so we can just get him down to the farm and just tinker away with him.

"The way he won here today, he might be good enough for a Sydney Cup.

"We'll get him home now and have a look at him."

Taylor said the fact jockey Damian Lane was happy to ride Glentaneous at 54kg boosted the camp's confidence in the Irish-bred stayer living up to his $2.70 quote in Monday's $200,000 assignment."Damian Lane has a good affinity with him now and he wanted to ride him at this weight," Taylor said.

"At this time of the year, he probably doesn't ride this weight so it was a good push for the horse and we were happy to have him on at that weight."

Meanwhile, the Mike Moroney-trained Not An Option overcame a weight disadvantage to win the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m).

Not An Option ($11) hit the lead in unison with Who Dares ($7.50) at the 200m before prevailing narrowly at the end of the $175,000 race despite giving the runner-up 4kg.

With thanks to Brad Waters

https://www.racenet.com.au/news/melbourne-cup-winners-anthony-and-sam-freedman-claim-bagot-handicap-with-glentaneous-at-flemington-20240101