Mirage Dancer to continue career in Australia with Melbourne Cup a target

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Mirage Dancer has been purchased by Australian joint trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young as a Cup horse for the major spring festivals.

The Group 3 winner, who has also been placed in four Group 2 contests, was last seen finishing second to Desert Encounter in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood on Friday.

Busuttin told Racing.com: "He's been bought for Caulfield and Melbourne Cup berths. He raced in the Group 3 mile-and-a-half race the other night [at Goodwood] and ran second and he seems to have the right credentials for the Cups.

"We chanced upon him with [bloodstock agent] Mark Pilkington and he's put a group together including Seymour Bloodstock and Mark Casey to race him and we're very lucky he's going to end up in our stable.

Mirage Dancer (left): a candidate for the Caulfield and Melbourne CupsCredit: Getty Images

"We'll get out of quarantine in time for a Caulfield Cup start and it will be very exciting for the owners and for the stable."

The five-year-old Frankel entire, who has won four of his 16 starts and been placed a further eight times, could also line up in the Cox Plate as well as the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

"We have been looking for a Cup horse and he is qualified for both races and would get in with a competitive weight," Busuttin said. "The Caulfield Cup would be an immediate goal and from there, on to a Melbourne Cup.

"It [Caulfield Cup] seems a nice race for him but we've also got him in the Cox Plate and I'm sure he wouldn't be out of place in a Cox Plate if he ended up going there."

The Juddmonte homebred is still in Newmarket but is due to be shipped to Melbourne next month.

Anthony Van Dyck: could head to Australia for the Cox PlateCredit: Mark Cranham

There is a strong international contingent entered for the $5 million Cox Plate with Aidan O'Brien fielding 11 entries including Group 1 winner Japan, dual 1,000 Guineas heroine Hermosa and Derby victor Anthony Van Dyck.

His son Joseph, who saddled Rekindling to land the 2017 Melbourne Cup, could be represented by last year's Irish Derby victor Latrobe, Gold Cup third Master Of Reality and Buckhurst.

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