The King and Queen could have a runner in Melbourne Cup

Racing Post are reporting that UK trainer William Haggas has revealed that Desert Hero will be entered in the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup.

Haggas, speaking to the Racing Post 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."

"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."

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.