The well-traveled group winner Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) will enter quarantine on Thursday before traveling to Australia. His goals Down Under include the Oct. 16 G1 Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup and the Nov. 2 G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup. The May 2 Yorkshire Cup S. hero, who races for Team Valor LLC and Gary Barber, was last seen running second to Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G2 Lonsdale Cup S. at York on Aug. 20. Trainer Andrew Balding is pleased with the 5-year-old entire and hopeful of a good showing Down Under. The bay also ran third in the Jun 17 G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
“He goes into quarantine in Newmarket–I couldn't be happier with him, he's come out of York great,” said Balding of his charge, who placed second in the Feb. 20 Red Sea Turf H. to open his season in Saudi Arabia before a fifth-place run in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan on Mar. 27. “He's passed all his required veterinary checks and goes into two weeks' quarantine and then will be shipped to Australia for the Caulfield Cup and hopefully the Melbourne Cup as well.”
Balding added of the strict covid restrictions in Australia that will prevent him sending one of his staff, “It is a problem. Happily we've got a former employee who is working in Australia and has made himself available to ride the horse. We are working on the other details.”
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