Mount Athos remains on track to return to Australia for the Melbourne Cup following his second to Harris Tweed in the Listed March Stakes at Goodwood.

The Luca Cumani-trained Mount Athos was a fast-finishing fifth in the 2012 Melbourne Cup for owner Dr Marwan Koukash.

The Goodwood race was a third straight defeat for Mount Athos but an improved effort on his past two unplaced finishes.

"Goodwood's not his track, but it was a better run. Depending on the owner, I think the plan's still to go back to Melbourne," the trainer's wife Sara Cumani said.

Cumani has come close to winning the Melbourne Cup with Bauer in 2008 and Purple Moon a year earlier.

His former pupil Marco Botti will be among those trying to thwart his bid with Dandino, now owned by Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock.

Dandino won the American St Leger last weekend and has travelled back to England to get ready for the trip to Australia.

"He came back on Monday morning and he looks really well, but he didn't have a hard race in the end," Botti said.

"He'll go straight for Australia now. Quarantine is in mid-September if you want to go on the first flight to Australia in early October, so it is quite soon now.

"I think he'll probably go for the Caulfield Cup and then the Melbourne Cup but we'll have to see how he takes the travelling."

Botti's first Melbourne Cup attempt resulted in a third last year by Jakkalberry who is on the injured list.