The focus of the racing world is on Royal Ascot this week as some of the best thoroughbreds compete at the famous five-day carnival in England.
On the other side of the world on Saturday, an imported horse which raced twice at the Royal meeting earlier in his career will be out to break through for his first Australian win at his 17th attempt.
The David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Goldoni lines up in the $40,000 benchmark race over 2040 metres at the winter meeting in Melbourne, looking to improve on a last-start midweek city placing.
At his second start four years ago, Goldoni finished midfield in the Listed Chesham Stakes for two-year-olds and returned to Royal Ascot a year to finish sixth in the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes.
After winning a Listed race at Chester in 2012 he went through a tried horses sale and joined the hayes team in Australia.
Goldoni has not yet lived up to expectations but Dabernig rates the stayer an each-way chance of breaking through on Saturday.
“He ran well the other day at the midweek Flemington meeting so he’s probably ready to hit some form,” Dabernig said.
“It took a couple of runs this preparation to get him fit. He had a bit of weight last start and we claimed off him but he drops a little in weight on Saturday and with that 2000-metre race under his belt at Flemington he should be competitive.”
Dabernig said Goldoni had had his problems which prevented him showing his best.
“He had a bad quarter crack and then he strained a tendon, so he hasn’t had a lot of luck since being here,” he said.
“But he’s got the talent there and we’ve just got to hopefully have a better run now.”
In the same race the Lloyd Williams-owned import Shikarpour is also chasing his first Australian win.
Shikarpour also made a Royal Ascot appearance when second in the Tercentenary Stakes two years ago.
London Stripe, who runs in Saturday’s 2040m open handicap, is another to have competed at Royal Ascot, finishing second in a handicap won by Dandino in 2010.
