The way Helenus stretched out over the final 200m shows that this horse is something special.

Oliver should not be criticised for his ride on Bel Esprit. He knew the horse couldn't lead and win over the distance, so tried different tactics which very nearly paid off. Oliver said he was hampered by Titanic Jack when trying to obtain a run.
I wouldn't consider Bel Esprit a chance over 2000 metres still. I would rather see them put the horse away for a while, freshen it and take it to the Hong Kong Sprint.
Then I'd be taking the odds!