William Haggas reveals royal St Leger fancy Desert Hero will have unexpected Melbourne Cup entry

The King and Queen could have a runner in this year's Lexus Melbourne Cup after William Haggas revealed leading Betfred St Leger contender Desert Hero will be entered for Australia's greatest horserace.

Victories in the King George V Handicap and Gordon Stakes have left Desert Hero a general 6-1 shot for the Doncaster showpiece, in which he will be seeking to become the first royal Classic winner since Dunfermline's famous triumph in the 1977 St Leger.

In an unexpected twist, the son of Sea The Stars could then be handed an even bigger assignment.

William Haggas has revealed that Desert Hero will be entered in the Melbourne CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

Haggas, speaking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday's edition, said: "I think Desert Hero is pretty good and he stays well, so we're going to put him in the Melbourne Cup. That could be different, couldn't it? 

"Two northern hemisphere three-year-olds have won the Melbourne Cup and it's a genuine entry. He wouldn't run in a prep race in Australia and he would need to enter quarantine pretty quickly after the Leger. My team are great at quarantine, though, as we've done it a lot with Sydney."

Haggas was referencing his stable's many successes at Sydney's autumn carnival, where Addeybb and Dubai Honour have won three of the last four runnings of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

He added: "Australia has become a big thing for us. I think about it all the time but then I'm always thinking where all the horses are going to run. 

"Dubai Honour is already inked in to go back to Sydney next year but we need two or three horses to go with him. Before then I've put My Prospero in the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup and he has passed the preliminary veterinary inspections from Racing Victoria."

Read more from William Haggas in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here to sign up.

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