Australia looking to extend streak in Juddmonte International

Australia looking to extend streak in Juddmonte

International

"Australia had a break after The Curragh and everything has gone well with

him since then," O'Brien said. "He has done very well and is just ready to start

back again."

"I suppose, because he has done so well, we are a little bit worried about

his fitness. But really, when you give a horse a break -- especially a

three-year-old -- going into the autumn, you want him to do well. He did well,

he did very well.

"Obviously, he is a good bit heavier than he was in the Derbies and I suppose

that just makes you a little bit more anxious. So, really, he is just ready to

go away and obviously we would imagine that he would come on a lot from the run.

"We always felt this was his trip. He is a very strong traveler -- he has a

high cruising pace."

Australia will be accompanied in the race by stablemate, Kingfisher, who won

the Dee Stakes at Chester in the spring and also finished second in the Irish

Derby.

"Kingfisher is in good form. He will be very happy to roll along if nothing

else does," O'Brien said. "He ran in the two Derbies with him (Australia) and is

a very tough, sound and genuine horse that doesn't mind bowling along.

"He is obviously running on his merits -- he is a Dee Stakes winner, so he is

a very legitimate horse. But like I said, he doesn't mind bowling along -- he'd

be very happy just to roll along, nice and sensible. And I think that will be

good for everybody if that is the case.

"Maybe somebody else will be happy to do it. But he is happy to do it if

nobody is. It will just be, hopefully, a nicely-run race."

Richard Hughes has been selected to partner The Grey Gatsby. Six runners have

been declared to shape an impressive field for the Group 1.

Trained by Kevin Ryan, The Grey Gatsby has been ridden by Ryan Moore on his

last three starts with Jamie Spencer riding in both the Craven Stakes and Two

Thousand Guineas at Newmarket. However, Moore has a retainer with the yard of

Sir Michael Stoute so will ride Telescope in opposition to The Grey Gatsby. A

similar circumstance sees another previous partner of the distinctive gray,

jockey Jamie Spencer, booked to ride Arod, meaning Ryan has had to look

elsewhere for a jockey.

"The Grey Gatsby has been great since his Longchamp run in the Grand Prix de

Paris in July and is very fresh and well," Ryan said. "The ground in France was

bottomless, which he hated, though he still ran a good race.

"He won his maiden at York, he was second in last year's Acomb Stakes at York

and he won the Dante Stakes at York in May of this year so the Knavesmire will

be no problem for him. He's proven at this mile and a quarter although at some

point I envisage stepping him back up to a mile and a half. He's only a

three-year-old and is developing all the time."

WILLIAM Haggas has hinted that Mukhadram. The Sheikh Hamdan-owned

five-year-old has been a model of consistency in recent seasons and was placed

four times in Group 1 company before breaking though at that level with an

impressive victory in the Eclipse Stakes in July.

He subsequently put up a gallant display to finish third behind Taghrooda in

the King George V! and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, his first try at a mile

and a half. Haggas was thrilled with his stable star's performance that day and

is looking forward to running him on Wednesday.

"Mukhadram ran a great race at Ascot. He is a tough, genuine horse and I

think is he is a little underrated," Haggas said. "We hope it doesn't get soft

but he's in great form and goes there in great shape. I feel it's my job to get

him there in the best condition I can and I am very happy with him."

Mukhadram won last year's York Stakes over the same course and distance of an

extended mile and a quarter.

Telescope, who followed up a win in last year's Great Voltigeur during the

Ebor Festival, with a score in the June 21 Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, enters off

a second to the filly Taghrooda in the King George.

Dante runner-up Arod, fourth

in the Epsom Derby, won a conditions event at Leicester in his latest outing.

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