This Cox Plate invitee is one step closer to taking on Winx in mid-October after returning to his best in the Group 1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis (2000m) over the weekend in Munich.

His trainer Saeed Bin Suroor has since declared his intention to run in the Juddmonte International (August 22, 2000m) or the Irish Champion Stakes (September 15, 2000m) as the final run before travelling to Melbourne.

The G1 Dubai Turf-winner will be one of the highest rated horses to ever travel and race in Australia, as Benbatl is currently rated 123 and listed as the equal seventh best horse in the world. The only horse rated higher than Benbatl to then race in Australia was Grandera, another Saeed Bin Suroor horse who finished third behind Northerly in the 2002 Cox Plate.

This alone would suggest Benbatl cannot be overlooked and could pose some strong opposition to our great mare Winx.

Joseph O'Brien took Melbourne by storm last spring when Rekindling won the Melbourne Cup, and this year he is set bring out a horse he considers to be even more brilliant, albeit less mature.

Latrobe was recently victorious in the Irish Derby (2400m) and the three-year-old son of Camelot is owned by Lloyd Williams.

O'Brien will look to run the colt next in the Juddmonte International or the Great Voltigeur Stakes (August 23, 2400m) at York International races before targeting both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.

Irish champion trainer Aidan O'Brien is yet to lock down his Australian representatives but has announced his interest in sending another team to Melbourne this spring.

The likes of Idaho and Cliffs Of Moher have been thrown in the mix while O'Brien is set to show his hand in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington in mid-August. Three-year-olds Kew Gardens, Flag Of Honour, Rostropovich and The Pentagon are just some of the names O'Brien could send to the US before heading to Australia, as he did with The Taj Mahal last year and Highland Reel and Adelaide previously.

Mirage Dancer produced as excellent second-placing to the Melbourne-bound Best Solution in the Group 2 Princess of Wales's (2400m) at Newmarket last start. This son of Frankel looks to be extremely progressive and having passed the Melbourne Cup ballot looks an exciting prospect.

This son of Shamardal was an impressive winner of the Listed Steventon Stakes (2000m) at Newbury on July 21 and has since given his trainer Charlie Appleby every reason to believe he's worthy of a Caulfield and Melbourne Cups campaign. Emotionless will add to a large team of Appleby's horses.

the word is cox plate and maybe the Melbourne cup if they come

ill give you $100-1 if your willing to have a minimum of $100 on it hahaha
2400m imo is her limit
she was 12-1 when the Everest odds came out, the idiots who take these bets deserve to lose there money

" Have a great Holiday "...???...read it again...not me her...

Sportsbet now rate Hamada a $26 chance on its fifth line of betting for Australias greatest race after the Charlie Appleby-trained four-year-old comfortably defeated Raymond Tusk by 2-1/4 lengths at the end of the 1m 5 1/2f contest with Walton Street a nose away third.

Appleby was in France saddling Beyond Reason to win a Group race at Deauville but told the Sporting Life the Melbourne Cup is definitely the objective for Hamada which now has a five race picket fence.

We decided to swerve the Ebor (at York next week) with both Hamada and Walton Street in the hope they would go to Newbury and confirm their slot for Australia, Appleby said.

"We felt it was the slightly easier option, going to Newbury rather than York, and it's worked out really well.

Hamada is getting better with racing and I feel he's got the right sort of profile to go to Australia.

"We'll find out what weights both horses get for the Melbourne Cup next week. I'd quite like to go straight there (with Hamada) if possible, as he's had plenty of racing this year already, but it depends what weight he gets.

Hamadas jockey James Doyle was suspended for two days for allowing Hamada to cross the runner-up inside the final furlong.

Appleby said Cross Counter would be a Melbourne Cup contender after his narrow second to stablemate Old Persian in the three-year-old feature.

Appleby told the Racing Post that Old Persian would head to the English St Leger while Cross Counter, would join another stablemate Hamada for Godolphins latest crack at the Melbourne Cup.

"The result couldn't have worked out any better," Appleby said.

"I know the betting didn't suggest that, but we've got one horse who will head to the St Leger, and the second horse will do what he was always expected to do go to Melbourne for the Cup."

Appleby said he ran Cross Counter in the Great Voltigeur Stakes to ensure he would not have to give the horse another start before the Melbourne Cup.

"I came here after Goodwood rather than going to Australia because I didn't want to take a three-year-old there, give him a prep run, then go into a Melbourne Cup, Appleby said.

"I thought it'd be easier to get a run into him here and try to get his weight up here then run him off the plane as a fresher horse."

Sportsbet reacted to Cross Counters York effort by trimming his price to $19 in Melbourne Cup betting.

The Roger Charlton-trained Withhold is a $17 Melbourne Cup favourite after his win in the Northumberland Plate (2m 1/2f) in June.

Update No Cup !

Stradivarius was a little off key but still proved too good in Fridays Group II Lonsdale Cup (2m56yds) to land the 1million stayers bonus however, the Melbourne Cup is not in his plans.

Having won the Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Yorkshire Cup, Stradivarius needed to win the Lonsdale Cup to secure the Weatherbys Hamilton bonus and he started the 4/11 favourite to do so.

Frankie Dettori was made to earn his fee however, pushing along four furlongs out and joining Count Octave (14/1) inside the final two furlongs to gradually assert his authority and score by 1-1/2 lengths with Idaho (7/1) a further 4-1/2 lengths away in third.

Dettori told the Racing Post Stradivarius was not the same horse that won at Royal Ascot but was still good enough.

"All his guts and talent got him through but he didn't give me the same feel as at Ascot," Dettori said.

"He was lethargic today. He's run in every championship race and they take their toll, two/two and a half miles, even if they look like they win easily, they still have to run the distance.

"Today he wasn't carrying me as well as he has in the past. I had to get really serious in the last two and a half furlongs class and courage got him through. It wasn't his best performance but, hey, we're millionaires!

Owner Bjorn Nielsen said he was not considering a trip to Australia for the John Gosden-trained four-year-old entire.

"I've got no inclination to take him to Australia, nor travel him you put some wear and tear on the wheels, Nielsen said,

"He's only young for a stayer and if he stays sound he can go round the clock next year, and the year after. The odds are a younger horse is going to have to come up from somewhere to beat him if he stays sound and his mind is still good."

However, the Melbourne Cup is the intention for the runner-up, rated a $46 chance by Sportsbet.

"You couldn't have asked more from him. Hopefully that means we might get his rating up and get him to Australia, trainer Andrew Balding's wife Anna Lisa said.

"It was a hell of a run and luckily we didn't ruin the party!

Other Melbourne Cup hopefuls Red Verdon finished fifth and and Max Dynamite trailed in eighth, beaten nearly 15 lengths.

Kate Grimwade was Godolphins pre-training manager at Newmarket but has previously spent time in Australia as Godolphins yearling manager and as the racing manager for Gai Waterhouse.

Her history with Godolphin started in the Godolphin Flying Start program while she also a did a stint as the assistant stud manager in Newmarket.

Kate is joining a great group in Melbourne, Cummings said.

She brings with her an understanding of Australian racing which is invaluable.

To have someone of her experience and skill at our stable in Melbourne is enormous for our team.

Grimwade started her new job on Monday, working alongside Bart Cummings' former long-time lieutenant Reg Fleming, Carbine Lodges senior foreman.

Oriental Eagle went out with a clear lead by halfway but was a spent force before the home turn where Tony Piccone made the winning move aboard Holdthasigreen, maintaining the speed and going for home along the inside.

Marmelo and Nearly Caught tried to challenge in the home straight but neither could reel in Holdthasigreen which went on to score by 2-1/2 lengths over Marmelo with Nearly Caught a further one length away third.

The winning time of 3:10.42 is faster than standard on ground listed as good.

Marmelo's trainer Hughie Morrison told the Racing Post the drying ground was against the gelding, winner of the Group II Prix Maurice de Nieuil at Longchamp in July.

"The ground was pretty quick. All credit to the winner, but hopefully we'll get better ground in Australia," Morrison said.

"Christophe said he was never as comfortable as he was at Longchamp.

"We'll see how he is. I probably wouldnt have run him on this ground at home. We'll go home and take a view."

Holdthasigreen finished third to Marmelo in last years Kergorlay and has won three of his four starts this year.

Sportsbet currently has Marmelo on its fifth line of betting for the Melbourne Cup and unchanged at $23.

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