Irish stayer Max Dynamite stamped himself as a genuine Melbourne Cup contender with a dominant victory in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York on Friday.
Ridden by the internationally renowned Frankie Dettori, Max Dynamite was strong at the end of the 3200m contest, extending out to win by four-and-a-half lengths.
Trainer Willie Mullins confirming on RSN’s On the Punt that Max Dynamite will now head to Australia.
“I’m hoping I can get him out early enough and have a prep race there,” he said.
“He won’t run again here. We’ll see how the Australian handicapper rates him and we’ll just make our plans from there.”
Mullins is no stranger to the Melbourne Cup, having finished fourth with Simenon in 2013, and believes Max Dynamite is a better prospect.
“He’s younger than Simenon and there looks to be a lot more potential,” he said
The trainer was surprised by how well Max Dynamite sprinted late in the race.
“He got a good draw and Frankie had him in the right place, dropped him in, and the whole thing opened up right in the straight,” Mullins said.
“I couldn’t believe how much the horse produced, I was hoping he’d run a really good race.
“He produced a nice turn of foot so hopefully now he’ll get a rating that will get him straight into the Melbourne Cup.”
Max Dynamite was far too strong for fellow Melbourne Cup aspirants Trip to Paris (fifth) and Big Orange (seventh), with stablemate Simenon finished at the tail of the eight-horse field.