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Nakeeta arrives in Australia after posting a career best victory contesting the Ebor Handicap at York.

Nakeeeta scored a narrow win in the Ebor Handicap (2787m) at York on August 26 which has earned him the trip south – a long way south from his home in Hawick in the north of England.

The performance yielded a Timeform rating of 114, a pound clear of his previous best figure returned contesting the Fine Equinity Stakes (3299m) at York in August 2016.

The Ebor has been won in the past by subsequent Melbourne Cup runners up Purple Moon (2007) and Heartbreak City last year.

The Ebor was Nakeeta’s fourth start for the year. He ran 4th in a 2816m handicap at Newmarket in June where he pulled hard at the start and then was short of gas at the finish coming 4th of 14.

He was also at York in May where he found the winner just too good in the Listed Grand Cup Stakes to finish second of 10 over 2800m. His season commenced in the Chester Cup in May over 3800m but the son of Sixties Icon could only finish 10th.

In his 2016 season he had a second at Leopardstown in the Tote November Handicap which had a field of 23, 16th out of 33 in the Cesarewitch in October, a second at York in a handicap over 3200m where he had several skirmishes with the winner Oceane but kept on going.

There was another second at Ascot over 3200m where he just lost to Sea Of Heaven, then at York in July he was 4th in the Stayers’ Handicap (3299m). He ran in the 2016 Northumberland Plate (3269m) without luck and had started the season with a second in the Chester Cup (3755m).

To sum up Nakeeta is a solid stayer who is not afraid of other horses. A dour six-year-old, he will have no problems with the 3200m Melbourne Cup journey however has he got enough speed in the finish?