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Dylan Mouth on Melbourne Cup trail at Newbury

Marco Botti, Trainer
Image: Trainer Marco Botti

Dylan Mouth kicks off his preparations for a trip to Australia as he returns to action in Saturday's Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

Trainer Marco Botti is aiming the six-year-old entire at the Melbourne Cup and is hoping for an inspiring performance from the son of Dylan Thomas in this Group Three contest.

Dylan Mouth is set to go into quarantine next week in preparation for the Flemington showpiece on November 7, in which he has been allotted 8st 6lb.

Botti has taken the opportunity of giving his charge a break since he defied joint top weight of 9st 10lb in the Old Newton Cup at Haydock 10 weeks ago.

"All's going well. He's in great form. He had a break just to freshen up after Haydock," said the Newmarket-based handler.

"Obviously we would like to go to the Melbourne Cup so this is a kind of prep race. It's turned out to be a good race and the ground is going to be fine for him."

Since finishing sixth to Dylan Mouth at Haydock, Fabricate has benefited from a drop down to a mile and a quarter from a mile and a half with victories at Goodwood (in the stewards' room) and at Windsor.

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Michael Bell, who trains the five-year-old for The Queen, is hoping Fabricate can keep up the good work despite being burdened with a 3lb penalty for his latest success in the Winter Hill Stakes.

"It's going to be tough with a penalty, but he's a massively improved horse since we dropped him back in trip," said the Newmarket handler.

"He seems in very good order."

Eve Johnson Houghton is hedging her bets regarding her two runners, Scarlet Dragon and What About Carlo, as they act on different types of ground.

The Blewbury handler could run both should the going ride good but it is possible just one will represent her if the ground edges either way.

"It just depends what the ground's like," she said.

"If it rains What About Carlo will run, if the going is good they'll both probably run and if maybe if it gets a bit quicker the other horse will run.

"You're not quite sure with this weather what is going to happen.

"They'll probably both run, I imagine, but if there's an extreme of going either way, only one will run.

"They are both in great form."

Wingingit makes her debut for the Andrew Balding stable having formerly been trained in Ireland by Noel Meade for whom she won two handicaps in the spring and was second in a Listed contest at Leopardstown on her latest start.

The Kingsclere trainer is pleased the way the three-year-old has settled into her new surroundings but accepts she has a lot on her plate.

"She's obviously new to us and has been with us four or five weeks," said Balding.

"I really like her. She's a lovely filly.

"Even on her best Irish form she's got it all to do, but I like the way she's going and this is very much a sighter for an autumn campaign.

"She seems in great form and I'd hope she'd run well."

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