The English stayer Mount Athos needs only to draw a good barrier to challenge Fiorente for Melbourne Cup favouritism.

Bookies are reporting massive backing for the Luca Cumani-trained runner who finished a luckless fifth in last year's race.

The support for the horse follows a stirring piece of work at Werribee on Wednesday that was clearly the best gallop of any Cup entrant at the quarantine centre this spring.

Some operators have Mount Athos as short as $7.50 after as much as $26 was bet.

Fiorente holds sway at $6, but bookies are having trouble attracting any money for the Gai Waterhouse runner who finished second last year and was third in last Saturday's Cox Plate.

"We are writing almost twice as many bets on Mount Athos as Fiorente," said Sportingbet's Michael Felgate.

Sportingbet had Mount Athos at $8.50 late on Thursday with Fiorente at $7.

The TAB's Adam Hamilton said Mount Athos is their worst result.

"Mount Athos has clearly been the best backed and I wouldn't be surprised if he is the favourite come Tuesday," Hamilton said.

In other Cup betting moves, Voleuse De Couers, a recent addition to the Mike Moroney team has support at $12 with the TAB and $13 with Sportingbet.

Mount Athos followed his good gallop with a light canter at Werribee on Thursday, as did the previous day's other good worker, Brown Panther.

Trainers Ed Dunlop and Alain de Royer Dupre arrived in Melbourne early on Thursday and after inspecting their respective runners Red Cadeaux and Varema have planned gallops for Friday.

It is also expected 2011 Cup winner Dunaden will gallop on Friday.