French import Harlem (GB) paid the first instalment on his 520,000 guineas purchase price at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale with a dominant win in Saturday's Group III MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
Making his fifth start in Australia, Harlem (GB) was given a peach of a ride by Dwayne Dunn to defeat stablemate
The Foundation Cup (Naturalism Stakes) is a win and in you're in for the Caulfield Cup and that's likely to be the next start for Harlem(GB) according to Ben Hayes who trains Harlem in partnership with his father David and Tom Dabernig.
"We've always really liked him - his run in the Heatherlie was excellent, he could've finished second," Hayes said.
"It was a great ride by Dwayne today, we were worried drawing barrier one, that we could be unlucky, but it went to plan and he won dominantly.
"We thought this might be still too short for him. His form over in Europe was over further.
"We'll see how he comes out of this but I'd say he'll probably go straight to the Caulfield Cup and then to the Melbourne Cup."
Harlem was purchased by Astute Bloodstock's Louis Le Metayer with UK agent Alastair Donald on behalf of a syndicate that raced the 2015 Group I Australian Cup winner Spillway.
A son of 3-time Group 1 winner Champs Elysees (Danehill), a winning full-brother to Dansili and Cacique, Harlem was trained in Europe by Andre Fabre to win a Longchamp maiden over 2400m before a Listed stakes win over the same trip at Vichy.
Also placed at Group II and Group III level in France, Harlem made his first start in Australia in March with an excellent third behind Palentino and Tosen Stardom (JPN) in the Group II Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
A half-brother to the stakes-placed Shearling (Rail link), Harlem is out of the Nayef mare Casual a 3-time winner in Ireland up to one and a half miles.
