Mirage Dancer sold to connections in Australia with Cup targets in mind

Mirage Dancer has been sold to race in Australia, with new connections already eyeing outings in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Britain, Mirage Dancer won four of his 16 starts and was last seen when finishing a two-and-a-quarter-length second in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood last week.

The five-year-old will join the yard of training partners Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young after he jets out of Newmarket next month.

Busuttin told www.racing.com: “He’s been bought for Caulfield and Melbourne Cup berths.

“He raced in the Group Three mile-and-a-half race the other night and ran second and he seems to have the right credentials for the Cups.

“We chanced upon him with (bloodstock agent) Mark Pilkington and he’s put a group together including Seymour Bloodstock and Mark Casey to race him and obviously we are very lucky that he’s going to end up in our stable.

“We’ll get out of quarantine in time for a Caulfield Cup start and so it will be very exciting for the owners and for the stable.”

While the Caulfield Cup is the initial target, Busuttin also confirmed the Cox Plate could be on Mirage Dancer’s radar.

He added: “We have been looking for a Cups horse and he is qualified for both races and would get in with a competitive weight.

“The Caulfield Cup would be an immediate goal and from there, on to a Melbourne Cup.

“It (Caulfield Cup) seems a nice race for him but we’ve also got him in the Cox Plate and I’m sure he wouldn’t be out of place in a Cox Plate if he ended up going there.”