Racing: Force to be reckoned with

Lethal Force winning at Royal Ascot last month, could be a star attraction during the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Photo / AP

Classy English sprinter invited to pit his speed against the best Australia has to offer.

Two extremely fat international carrots are being dangled before trainer Clive Cox and owner Alan Craddock after the brilliant all-the-way victory of Lethal Force in the group one Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Sunday.

Will it now be Melbourne or Hong Kong - or both?

Soon after the determined grey sprinter had dazzled his rivals on the July Course, validating the reputation he had established in winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot a month earlier, Cox and Craddock found themselves in the company of Leigh Jordon, the recruitment agent for the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Jordon put the argument that there has never been a better time for a European sprinter to board the plane and try his luck against Australia's best. With Black Caviar retired and Hay List performing below par, the way is open for a top sprinter from Britain.

"In the past few years, the opposition has been pretty hot," Jordon stated. "Black Caviar proved unbeatable, while Hay List, at his peak, was outstanding. But there is room at the top now for a good one like Lethal Force, who has run right up to his Ascot form."

The lightly raced Australian Shamexpress finished seventh, beaten 5 lengths on Sunday. Though underperforming, he nevertheless provided a line to the best Melbourne form. Earlier in the year, he won the Newmarket Hcp at Flemington, beating the best sprinters in the country.

On Sunday, Lethal Force smashed the course record, running the six-furlong trip in 1:09.11, an achievement that delighted Cox.

"I was so pleased for the horse that he was able to do that. I think many people undervalued his win at Royal Ascot, but he was brilliant. He's fine after the race this morning, too," the trainer said yesterday.

Possible immediate targets are the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville next month, as well as the Haydock Park Sprint in early September. However, Cox is also studying all the angles for raids on Australia and Hong Kong in November and December.

If Lethal Force were able to win the Patinack, he would pick up total prize money of about £800,000 ($1,546,000), with half being a bonus for being an earlier winner of a leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

The grey colt's preference is definitely for fast ground and that should be in his favour in Melbourne.

While the Patinack is run on a straight course, the six-furlong Hong Kong Sprint involves running around a tight right-handed bend, with much importance placed on an inside draw. Cox has many questions to ponder but it is a fantastic headache to have.