The $700,000 Mercedes Derby winner C'est La Guerre has been sold to Australia. It is believed the principal buyer is Melbourne's Lloyd Williams.
Trainer Kevin Myers was unavailable for comment last night.
The attraction for Williams is C'est La Guerre's Melbourne Cup potential.
Williams won the cup lastyear with Efficient and has long portrayed himself as a Melbourne Cup junkie.
When the New Zealand-bred Efficient won the 2006 Victoria Derby, Williams had only one race on his mind, the 2007 Melbourne Cup.
The previous part-owner of Melbourne's plush Crown Casino is believed to have indicated he is extremely unlikely to aim C'est La Guerre at this year's Melbourne Cup.
It is more likely C'est La Guerre will have a light spring campaign and be aimed at the 2009 Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
One of the many appeals of C'est La Guerre, who was previously owned in Europe, is his ability on any type of racing surface, but his absolute talent on rain-affected tracks.
When rain reduced the Ellerslie track to slow on Derby Day, March 1, C'est La Guerre was the only horse handling the conditions properly and scored by four lengths from Prince Kaapstad and Fritzy Boy.
Nom du Jeu and Red Ruler, who quinellaed the AJC Derby recently, were among the beaten runners that day, both tied up by the conditions.
C'est La Guerre is one of a dying breed - he is a big, rangy, rugged old-time New Zealand stayer, the type that used to be difficult to hold out in Melbourne Cups.
