Godolphin have another live contender for the Emirates Melbourne Cup after Royal Empire displayed the right credentials in the Betfred TV Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.
The Group Three represented a considerable step up in distance for the son of Teofilo, who was tackling an extra three furlongs in this stayers' event over just shy of a mile and three-quarters.
Royal Empire (8-1) had demonstrated a liking for the Berkshire course when reappearing after a Dubai Carnival campaign by winning a Listed event last month and he surged through to the front halfway down the home straight under Kieren Fallon and immediately put a seal on proceedings, finishing a length and a half clear of the 2011 Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux.
Royal Empire's companion from the Saeed bin Suroor stable, Lost In The Moment, took third.
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said of the winner: "I'm very pleased, and we'll just have to hope he goes up a few pounds so he qualifies for the Melbourne Cup.
"He won this off 112 and it's difficult to get in to the Melbourne Cup off less that 115. He'll have a couple more runs before then, but I'm not sure where."
An impressed Fallon added: "This fellow has got a lot of improvement in him and he can go on from here. He'll be a much better on horse on better ground."
George Peckham, assistant trainer to Ed Dunlop, said of Red Cadeaux: "It's great to see him back to his best, and the weight just beat him. The plan is to go into quarantine for Australia and start off in the Caulfield Cup."
Glen Moss (5-2 favourite) was a class apart under Johnny Murtagh in the Betfred Mobile Sports Ladies Day Handicap, while Hi Note (7-2) heralded the arrival of Meat Loaf's post-race concert by taking the Betfred 'Treble Odds On Lucky 15's' Ladies Derby Handicap.
