Raymond Tusk Melbourne bid would be dream come true for Middleham Park

Money talks – and it has persuaded Middleham Park Racing to aim Raymond Tusk at the Melbourne Cup.

The syndication company received so many offers for their high-class stayer they felt it was worth aiming him at the race themselves and are set to ditch a crack at the Irish St Leger in favour of an Australian campaign.

Placed in the Sagaro Stakes and Aston Park Stakes in the spring, their Richard Hannon-trained four-year-old got the agents excited with his keeping-on fourth in the £1 million Ebor at York last month.

Lexus Melbourne Cup card

"The plan was the Ebor and then the Irish St Leger but there was loads of interest from Down Under, from agents interested in purchasing him," said Middleham Park racing manager Tim Palin.

"That made us have a rethink – if they're all trying to buy him, there must be some credence in going for the race ourselves. This is ground-breaking as he's the first horse we've entered for the race. We are fully committed to running if we genuinely believe he's going to get in.

"'The race that stops a nation' is a tagline that we've all read – to be part of it would be a dream come true for the owners. That's the sort of upside you hope for when the hammer comes down on any horse you buy."

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Raymond Tusk, a top-priced 33-1 for the Melbourne Cup, finished two lengths behind Mustajeer at York and Palin said: "It was a super run in probably the best Ebor ever run, he won £50,000 for finishing fourth and that would probably pay for the trip to Australia.

"If they'd gone a bit harder up front or the ground had been a bit easier they would have come back to him even more than they did, and he didn't get a clear run at the two pole."

Final plans for Raymond Tusk are likely to be set after the initial weights for the Melbourne Cup are revealed a week on Tuesday.

"It's still slightly a work in progress as we're not 100 per cent certain he'll get in," Palin said. "He qualifies because he's won a Group 2 in Italy and we're led to believe he'll get around 8st 5lb.

"He's been nominated for the Caulfield Cup as well which might help, if he were to pick up a penalty. We're still taking advice about whether we need to do something else to get in."

Constantinople shot to the head of the Melbourne Cup market at the weekend following confirmation he is to be part-sold to Lindsay Park, with original owners Coolmore keeping a share in the horse. David Hayes confirmed the purchase of the three-year-old, who finished second to Logician in the Great Voltiguer at York last month when trained by Aidan O'Brien.

Middleham Park's money-spinning handicapper Burnt Sugar, who Roger Fell trained towin the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket and International Handicap at Ascotwithin a fortnight last summer, has been retired

"He's always had a little bit of wear and tear on some of his joints and it was getting to a point where sending him to the races was about to run the risk of affecting the rest of his life," Palin said.

"So we decided we had to pull up stumps so he could enjoy a long and happy retirement."

Burnt Sugar won the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton for Richard Hannon as a two-year-old and eared over £350,000 in his 51-race career.

"He was a fantastic horse for Richard Hannon and he's been fantastic for us since we bought him," Palin said.

Burnt Sugar wins the Gigaset International Handicap at Ascot in 2018Credit: Mark Cranham

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