While the 3200-metre Andrew Ramsden Stakes is set to provide a lead to this year's Melbourne Cup, it may well be the feature sprint of the day, the Straight Six at Flemington on Saturday, that turns out to be the unlikely key pointer.Star European stayers Alandi and Mourayan, who were formerly trained by John Oxx and bought from the Aga Khan by leviathan Melbourne owner Lloyd Williams, will make their Australian debuts in the sprint as part of their acclimatisation program before the spring.They

While the 3200-metre Andrew Ramsden Stakes is set to provide a lead to this year's Melbourne Cup, it may well be the feature sprint of the day, the Straight Six at Flemington on Saturday, that turns out to be the unlikely key pointer.

Star European stayers Alandi and Mourayan, who were formerly trained by John Oxx and bought from the Aga Khan by leviathan Melbourne owner Lloyd Williams, will make their Australian debuts in the sprint as part of their acclimatisation program before the spring.

They are among a band of more than a dozen horses Williams purchased from Europe late last year in a bid to win his fourth Melbourne Cup with the help of trainer Robert Hickmott.

Alandi heads the Straight Six weights with 62.5kg and will be ridden by Sebastian Murphy while Mourayan has 58.5kg with Eddie Cassar as his jockey.

Alandi comes with outstanding credentials, winning five of his eight starts including his last three, featuring most recently Group One victories in the Irish St Leger (2800m) and Longchamp's Prix Du Cadran (4000m).

Mourayan is not as celebrated with a stakes win over 1800m at Leopardstown the best of his two wins in nine starts, but notably he was third in last year's Irish Derby to Fame And Glory.

"They are both good style of horses and are having some acclimatisation with just one race before tipping them out," Williams said.

"It is only a bit of practice for them. They will finish at the back of the field.

"They are 3200-metre horses not 1200-metre horses and I am doing exactly the same thing I did with Efficient last year and running them in exactly the same race."

A son of Zabeel, Efficient, winner of the 2007 Melbourne Cup, finished 13th of the 15 runners in last year's Straight Six before a winter break and returning in the spring to win the Group One Turnbull Stakes.

Alandi fits the perfect mould for a Cup horse in Williams' eyes.

"He's a nice type of horse by Galileo and not too big," Williams said.

Williams has among his European brigade of stayers other sons of Galileo, namely Aristocrat, Johann Zoffany, Muir and Rockhampton, in the hope of finding similar success to that he's had with Zabeel progeny in recent times.

Records show that Fergus McIver, Grand Ducal, Sail Of Gold, Set Sail and Trojan War are also among his list of imports.

"Some have been to the races here and some haven't," Williams said.

Alandi was hailed the stayer of the year in Europe and Williams said he was the pre-post favourite for next month's Ascot Gold Cup when he bought him.

But he wouldn't declare him and Mourayan as the best of his European investments just yet.

"It is hard to know if these two are the pick of them," Williams said.

"We will know in four or five months time how good they are, but they are nice horses."