Dream Castle at Werribee's International Horse Centre (Image: Carl Di Iorio)
Everybody knows there’s no Winx, or any horse that resembles her, in this year’s Cox Plate field.
In any other season the second-placed effort of Benbatl, who won the G1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at his opening Australian run two weeks earlier, would have been a winning one.
So with that in mind, trainer Saeed bin Suroor has followed the Benbatl template with his latest prototype – Dream Castle.
And after watching Dream Castle work at Spendthrift Australia Park (Werribee racecourse) on Monday morning, it doesn’t take a great deal of convincing to believe he’s a major contender in the Caulfield Stakes and Cox Plate.
Dream Castle galloped sensationally, sitting off Group 1-winning stablemate Royal Meeting and Ebor Handicap runner-up Red Galileo before swiftly striding past widest of the trio in the straight.
Bin Suroor will arrive in Melbourne on Saturday to view Dream Castle in the Caulfield Stakes with stablemate Royal Meeting also holding a nomination for the weight-for-age contest.
Dream Castle contested the same four races during the 2019 Dubai World Cup carnival that Benbatl did, for similar positive results.
Benbatl claimed three Group races including the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) during the 2018 Dubai World Cup carnival and was runner-up to Blair House in the G1 Jebel Hatta (1800m).
Dream Castle also won three Dubai races, headlined by the G1 Jebel Hatta but finishing 16 lengths last to Almond Eye in the G1 Dubai Turf.
Both Benbatl and Dream Castle returned to Europe, both unplaced and outclassed in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes (1609m) during Royal Ascot.
The only noticeable formline difference between Dream Castle and Benbatl is that the latter won at Group 1 level in Germany prior to his Australian trip while Dream Castle hasn’t been seen since his Queen Anne defeat.
But any doubt that Dream Castle might not be arriving in Australia in good condition was put to rest on Monday.
The six-year-old gelding by Frankel is a $41 chance with BetEasy to win the $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 26.
WATCH: 2019 Jebel Hatta