FRIDAY night's Prince of Wales boylesports.com Stakes (2400 m) at Newmarket shapes as the most pivotal UK race so far this year for Melbourne spring carnival bound horses, reports Racing Network.
The Group 2 race has attracted just eight starters, but all of them have Caulfield and/or Melbourne Cup aspirations.
Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock have two runners - Dandino, runner-up in last year’s Caulfield Cup behind Fawkner and fifth behind Fiorente in the Melbourne Cup, and former German Group 1 winner Seismos - in the race.
Godolphin also has two runners - Cavalryman, which ran 12th in the 2012 Melbourne Cup, and the emerging Excellent Result, a Group 2 Dubai City of Gold Stakes in March winner defeating Mount Athos.
Connections of the Richard Hannan-trained Pether’s Moon, a distant third behind Telescope in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes during Royal Ascot, have expressed interest in heading to Melbourne.
But, the most interest comes from the two Sir Michael Stoute trained runners - Arab Spring and Hillstar.
Arab Spring is unbeaten in his four starts this year with his most important win registered during last month’s Royal Ascot carnival where he won the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (2400 m).
Already, there’s been interest form Australians in purchasing this half-brother to Glass Harmonium.
Hillstar is coming off a seven-length second behind Telescope in the Hardwicke Stakes.
The Stoute runners dominate betting with Arab Spring rated a $2.80 favourite in pre-post betting with Hillstar a $4 chance.
Stoute has not had a Melbourne Cup runner since Distinction ran 19th behind Makybe Diva in2005.
Terry Henderson and Simon O’Donnell have Gatewood, a winner of the 2012 Geelong Cup, in the race, but he would need to win to book a trip back.