Jockey Craig Williams may get the chance of a handsome consolation prize for missing the Melbourne Cup ride on French stayer Dunaden in the shape of the $HK14 million Hong Kong Vase next month.

In a change of plans, Dunaden may now go to Hong Kong for the Cathay Pacific International races at Shatin on December 11 on his way home to France.

French jockey Christoph Lemaire was a late replacement on Dunaden in the Emirates Melbourne Cup after Williams failed in his appeal to VCAT on race eve over a suspension at Bendigo on October 27.

Williams won the Geelong Cup on Dunaden at his first Australian start and the connections are likely to give him another chance on the horse in Hong Kong.

The Vase is shaping almost as a Melbourne Cup replay with Dunaden, runner-up Red Cadeaux and Americain, who finished a close fourth, also likely to start.

A decision on whether Americain, who finished third in the Vase last year after his Melbourne Cup win, goes to Hong Kong will be made after he runs in the Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown on Saturday.

Dunaden, Americain and Red Cadeaux all looked like they had taken no harm from their Melbourne Cup runs during light workouts at the International Horse Centre at Werribee this morning.

(Meanwhile, the Herald Sun reports that Charlie Henson, travelling foreman for Luca Cumani, said if Americain had taken no harm from his luckless Melbourne Cup fourth, dealt with the drop back to 2400m and could handle three runs in as many weeks, the Group 2 Zipping Classic was his for the taking.

He said the race's conditions favoured Americain, who meets all his rivals from the Melbourne Cup on much better terms.

Cumani's Manighar, who finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Americain in the Cup, meets him 4kg worse.

And if that is not daunting enough, Stephanie Nigge, travelling foreman for Americain's trainer Alain de Royer Dupre, said the 2010 Melbourne Cup winner was "flying". Nigge said Americain had come out of the Cup well and was happy and fresh.)