Dunaden and Red Cadeaux, the international stayers who were separated by only a nose when they fought out last year's Melbourne Cup at Flemington, will share the spotlight with champion mare Black Caviar on the closing day at Royal Ascot on Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
They will meet in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes, a race which holds great significance for the coming Melbourne's spring carnival with recent Australian acquisitions Jakkalberry and Quest For Peace amongst their rivals in a 13 horse field.
Dunaden and Red Cadeaux line up for their third clash as they followed their thrilling Melbourne Cup quinella with a clash in the G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December where they finished first and third.
Red Cadeaux has since won the G2 Yorkshire Cup at York on 18 May before running second to St Nicholas Abbey in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom on 2 June where Quest For Peace, trained by Luca Cumani for Melbourne-based OTI Racing, was fourth.
Dunaden has had raced twice this year without a win, the latest being third to the John Gosden-trained Aiken in the G2 Prix de Chantilly in France on June 3 but a run that was full of merit as he gave away a big start the leaders in a sprint the finish.
Jakkalberry, now owned by a Ballarat-based syndicate, has not appeared since he raced in Dubai on March 31 when third in the G1 Sheema Classic at Meydan.
Last year's St Leger winner Masked Marvel, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Memphis Tennessee, French filly Testosterone and Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Sea Moon add great depth the classy Hardwicke Stakes line-up.
Racing Victoria's international recruitment officer Leigh Jordon believes the Hardwicke will be a pivotal international form reference for this year's Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
“Every runner sits on our watch list for this year's Cups. Those that perform well are going to be prime targets for us this spring,” Jordon said.
Jordan also has his eye on G1 races in France and Japan this weekend with Cox Plate invitees Cirrus Des Aigles and Rulership in action.
Craig Williams will ride Rulership in the Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) at Hanshin where he will clash with possible Cups entries Beat Black and Win Variation.
Cirrus Des Aigles takes on a star-studded Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2400m) which includes Melbourne-bound Prairie Star having his first start for OTI Racing meeting the first two home in last year's Arc De Triomphe, Danedream and Shareta.
At Pontefract the Castle Stakes (2400m) will feature several likely spring entries led by last year's Melbourne Cup sixth Lost In The Moment, last year's St Leger runner-up Brown Panther and Glen's Diamond, runner-up to Red Cadeaux in the Yorkshire Cup.
* Former Australian winners Scarf and Soul will be in action at Royal Ascot on Saturday for the Godolphin stable.
Scarf runs in the Wokingham, one of the toughest six furlong handicaps in the UK, while takes on Black Caviar in the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
Group 2 winner Soul won on turf in Dubai in March and was sixth at his debut in the G2 Duke Of York Stakes over six furlongs at York on May 16.
Scarf drops back to six furlongs after going down by a head in a seven furlong handicap at Doncaster on June 9 at his third start in the UK.
He had previously finished fifth over seven furlongs at Haydock Park on May 12 and sixth over a mile on the polytrack at Kempton Park on May 2.
