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| Sumita Pawar |
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When Ardakan competes in the Gr.2 Hardwicke Stakes (2400m) at Royal Ascot on Saturday, Marco Botti is optimistic that the horse will demonstrate his ability to bring the trainer back to Melbourne after nearly a decade.
Botti had horses competing in the Spring Carnival between 2012 and 2014, with Jakklaberry finishing second in the 2012 Melbourne Cup and Dandino finishing second in the 2013 Caulfield Cup.
However, Botti has not had a representative in Melbourne since Seismos ran unplaced in the 2014 Melbourne Cup.
Ardakan: The Melbourne Contender
Ardakan, a son of Reliable Man owned by Bennett Racing, has a chance to change that with a potential spring campaign in Melbourne. Despite only racing three times for his new connections, Ardakan has placed in two Stakes races over 2800m in Dubai earlier this year. He will make his seasonal return in the Hardwicke Stakes against other Melbourne hopefuls Deauville Legend and Grand Alliance.
"Personally, I think he's a horse that has matured a lot from three to four and I look at him as a stronger horse this year," Botti said.
"He had a busy winter, so we wanted to freshen him up a little bit before Royal Ascot, which has been the plan since (Dubai).
"He's in great order - he worked last Saturday and it was a nice piece of work.
"James McDonald will ride him, so hopefully all goes well in the next week.
"I think he has enough speed to run over a mile-and-a-half, even if he stays further.
"The Hardwicke Stakes is never an easy race and the quality of horses that run the remakes it more of a Group 1."
Botti said he will work closely with Nathan Bennett following Royal Ascot to determine the best path for Ardakan to chart en route to Melbourne in the spring.
"The Melbourne Cup is a race that I always dream to have runners in, let alone to hopefully win one day," he said.
"We haven't got a firm plan - we said that we wanted to get to Ascot and then choose a couple of races between July, August and early September before the quarantine starts.
"A race that has always been a good prep race for the Melbourne Cup is the September Stakes at Kempton.
"The timing is perfect and it fits in with quarantine, so that could be an option.
"He's a very uncomplicated horse and he seems to handle all kinds of ground."