Time is running out in Britain for horses to secure Spring Racing Carnival slots but this weekend's totepool September Stakes at Kempton provides several fascinating angles. Godolphin have four Emirates Melbourne Cup entries and while no decision has been made yet as to which will travel, this 2400-metre Group 3 (23.20 Saturday) gives one, Royal Empire, an opportunity to book a ticket.

Racing manager Simon Crisford suggested Flemington as a distinct possibility after Royal Empire's success in last month's Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2600m) and he could do with a further advertisement of his claims to Racing Victoria's handicapper here.

Unknown to Australian racing fans is David Lanigan, who hopes to give both his Carnival prospects a run-out this month.

Main Sequence, his September runner, would carry 53.5kg in the BMW Caulfield Cup and looks a more likely visitor than Biographer (50.5kg).

Irish-born Lanigan has often been touted as one of British racing's 'next big things' gathering a wealth of experience in the American breeding industry before assisting the great Sir Henry Cecil.

He took out his training licence in 2007 and has attracted serious owners like the Niarchos Family, whose Main Sequence is his best horse to date.

A winner of last year's Lingfield Derby Trial (2400m) before running second to Camelot in the Derby itself, the chestnut performed well in three other starts and the decision was made to keep the son of Aldebaran in training at four.

He was gelded during the winter, but it did not seem to have the desired effect, as Main Sequence was too keen on his comeback in the Listed Buckhounds Stakes (2400m) at Ascot and flashed his tail worryingly when beaten by the admittedly top-class Mukhadram in the Brigadier Gerard (2000m) at Sandown.

And it was back to the drawing board entirely on his most recent start in late June, when hammered 13 lengths by Cups prospect Brown Panther over 2400 metres at Pontefract.

"I hope to put a line through his last run at Pontefract and we might leave the cheekpieces off this time," Lanigan said.

"I've always thought of him as a mile and a quarter, mile and a half horse but we'll get Saturday out of the way first.

"The Niarchos family would not be opposed to running him in Dubai next year, but if he's going in the right direction, you wouldn't rule (Melbourne) out."

Of Biographer, who was only seventh to Royal Empire at Newbury, Lanigan said: "I think he'd have to go up in the weights to get a run.

"I don't think he was 100% right last time, he'd gone under the track record at Sandown the time before and I think we'll run him in a Listed race at Newmarket on September 26 (Jockey Club Rose Bowl, 3200m), see where we are with him and make a plan.

"If he runs well, he might be a horse for the Long Distance Cup (3200m) on British Champions Day instead." 

Others of interest among the 11 runners for a contest landed by live Caulfield contender Dandino are his Marco Botti stablemate Tac De Boistron.

Second-last in the Cup last November, he pleased when third on his recent debut for Botti at Goodwood.

Fascinating Chilean import Sabor A Triunfo has her first start in OTI Racing colours for Ed Dunlop. (racingvictoria).