The quintet, which consists of G3 Ballyroan S. runner-up Cleveland (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), winner Temple Of Artemis (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), triple group winner and Group 1-placed Baron Samedi (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), G3 Irish St. Leger Trial hero Raise You (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Statement (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who won the G3 Concorde S., are supposed to be among the nominations–released later in the day–for The Championships at Royal Randwick on Apr. 1 and Apr. 8.

Intended for the A$2-million G1 Sydney Cup over 3200 metres are Cleveland and Temple Of Artemis, both part-owned by the Williams family of G1 Melbourne Cup fame, as well as Baron Samedi. Raise You is also likely for the Sydney Cup, but has also proven effective over slightly shorter trips. Statement is targeting the A$600,000 G1 Coolmore Classic on Mar. 11, followed by the A$1-million G1 Queen of the Turf over a mile on Apr. 8.

“Cleveland will either run in the [G1] Tancred [S. on Mar. 25] ahead of the Sydney Cup, or straight into the Sydney Cup. We'll play that by ear,” Nick Williams told Racing.com. “By all reports he's in terrific form at home, his two runs for us have been nothing but outstanding.

“His last run for us at the Curragh, the Irish Cesarewitch, we gave the winner Waterville (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) plenty of weight (8kg).

“Whilst if he were to run in the Tancred, he'd be out of the weights, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was to run well.”

Prior to his Sydney Cup attempt, if he gets into the field, Temple Of Artemis is aiming for the A$200,000 G3 N.E. Manion Cup over 2400 metres at Rosehill on Mar. 18 or if not, the A$300,000 G2 Chairman's Quality going 2600 metres on Apr. 1.

“He was a very immature 3-year-old and we gelded him late last year,” Williams said. “Joseph tells me he's taken several steps forward, he's a work in progress. He is rated 96 over in Ireland, it will take a bit of work to get him into the Sydney Cup, but you never know.

“He's an exciting stayer for the future and he's a brother to [2015 G1] Gold Cup runner-up Kingfisher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).”

They will enter quarantine this week, and will arrive in Sydney on Feb. 25, alongside the William Haggas-trained foursome of Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}), Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Earl Of Tyrone (Ire) (Australia {GB}), and Protagonist (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

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Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 7-year-old gelding recently spent two weeks in an equine hospital after the clot became infected. He is now back at trainer William Haggas's Newmarket yard and while expected to race next season, he will not be ready for Sydney in March and April, where his targets would have included an attempt at a third straight G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., and a second G1 Ranvet S.-he was runner-up there last year to G1 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), who he beat in both his Queen Elizabeth wins. Addeybb is a Group 1 winner domestically, too, having taken the 2020 G1 Champion S.

Haggas said, “He came back home from hospital on Monday. I think and hope he's going to be OK. He's definitely made some improvement but that's going to scupper him [going to Australia]. He won't be able to leave England next February.

“His infection markers have improved, we're not out of the woods, but I think we're making good headway. Those sort of things can be nasty. They can be no good and it's good he's better. I very much hope he'll be OK for next season. He owes us absolutely nothing and we won't take any risks with him. From an Australian point of view this is a bad time, but from any other point of view it's a good time to have a bit of a setback.”

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