Mount Athos or Mount Etna?

Jockey Jamie Spencer will ride Dunaden in the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

COULD be some interesting glances between Luca Cumani and visiting jockey Jamie Spencer this week.

The pair had a public spat last month when Cumani criticised Spencer for "two very bad rides" on Mount Athos.

Spencer responded by tweeting a picture of a crying man throwing broken toys from a pram.

Spencer is now contracted to Dunaden's owner Sheikh Fahad and will ride him in the Melbourne Cup.

Spencer had his first look at Flemington yesterday after riding work at Werribee.

He will ride Cox Plate import Side Glance in the Mackinnon Stakes tomorrow, before having another couple of rides on Tuesday before the Cup.

"(Side Glance) just wouldn't relax (in the Cox Plate). Hopefully running him a week later, the freshness will be off him," Spencer said.

Us versus them mentality in Derby clash

TOMORROW'S Victoria Derby is shaping as a State of Origin clash between Victoria and New South Wales.

The Peter Snowden trio of Complacent, San Diego and Tupac Amaru are backed up by John O'Shea's Savvy Nature and David Payne's Criterion making for a strong NSW squad.

The other NSW runner is Anthony Cummings Thunder Fantasy.

They take on 10 horses trained in Victoria headed by Robbie Laing's Polanski.

Northerners have the numbers

NEW South Wales bred horses also make up more than half of the field with 10 representatives

by sires based here.

Victoria has four horses bred here - Polanski (Rakti), Throw The King (Elvstroem), Honey Steel's Gold (Keep The Faith) and Cadillac Mountain (Reset).

There are two Kiwis bred gallopers and one from South Australia and Queensland.

On breeding outsider Cadillac Mountain, who is first emergency could follow in the footsteps of his brother Rebel Raider who won the race at $101. Cadillac Mountain, who is also a half brother to Shamoline Warrior is at $41.

Cash goes with Nash

NASH Rawiller has been installed as favourite for the Group 1 Jockeys Challenge which TAB will run during the week.

The Group 1 Jockeys Challenge will be run on the same format as a normal jockeys challenge with three, two and one points allocated for the first three placegetters but it will only apply to the eight Group 1 races for the week.

Rawiller has three Group 1 rides tomorrow including two favourites - Solzhenitsyn and Red Tracer.

CUP WEEK - GROUP 1 JOCKEY

$2.70 Nash Rawiller

$2.90 Any Other Jockey

$6 Glenn Boss

$6 Kerrin McEvoy

$7 Hugh Bowman