Ladbrokes Cox Plate (G1) winner Sir Dragonet had been on the radar of Mathew Becker for more than 12 months before he was able to convince Coolmore to part with the well-bred and highly talented son of Camelot who provided the ultimate return to his new owners Oct. 24 at Moonee Valley.
The 5-year-old, a one-time Epsom Derby (G1) favorite who won the MBNA Chester Vase (G3) last year, led home a European-bred first four in the 100th running of the prestigious AU$5 million race and cemented Ciaron Maher and David Eustace as a likely force in Australian training ranks in the years to come.
Becker is the agent for Sir Dragonet's principal owner, Ozzie Kheir, and the pair orchestrated a late Friday night deal with Coolmore's Tom Magnier to buy the horse from the international racing and breeding empire.
Speaking to ANZ Bloodstock News after the momentous occasion, Group 1 Bloodstock's Becker was well aware of the downfalls of buying Sir Dragonet for a significant seven-figure sum.
"It's one of those things—buying these horses from overseas is good in theory, but it is fraught with pitfalls, and they don't always come off, but we've got a system in place that we have had for a little while, and Ozzie and I worked pretty closely hand-and-glove on it," Becker said.
"I was confident that he was the right horse, but you are never too sure until you see them have their first run in Australia to see how they are going to adapt and all that sort of stuff, so it was just so good to see him find the line the way he did. It is quite amazing, really."
Sir Dragonet defeated Armory by 1 1/4 lengths, with Russian Camelot another three-quarters of a length away in third. Mugatoo was fourth.
Jockey Glen Boss won last year's edition of The Everest for similar connections.
"It's unbelievable. I used to wear out my VCR watching the Kingston Town and Manikato video. It's ingrained in my psyche," Boss said.
Maher was also elated at the result of his new stable addition.
"It's something else. You dream of having a runner in it, let alone winning the race," Maher said.
"Ozzie bought him for the Melbourne Cup, and he'll be even better in that race."
Becker praised the "10 out of 10" ride Sir Dragonet received from Boss but also credited the recently retired James Winks for his input in the winner's success.
"One thing that Ozzie and John O'Neill did was engage James Winks to ride the horse, and I think it was a masterstroke because, one, getting a quality rider like that with feedback directly every day was so important for us and, two, to be honest, we became confident when the horse got to Newmarket because the Maher-Eustace stable put him in work with David's brother Harry," he said.
"Harry remarked when he got the horse there that he was a really lovely horse with plenty more to give. He was thriving there with no problems, and when he got to Werribee, he just loved it.
"James (Winks) just said he felt so good and he had so much quality. He was also fit, which was another major thing as we didn't have to worry about his fitness. We could just take time with him."
He added: "He had a couple of key gallops, which was all he took. He had a gallop last Saturday and he went to Moonee Valley for breakfast with the stars, but he's been going to the beach and he's thrived on that sort of training that Ciaron can offer them here as opposed to the style of training that he's been used to in Ireland. I think he is just brilliant with those horses, and Ciaron was just so confident today. It was amazing, really."
A deal for Sir Dragonet to end up in Australia was only signed off three months ago after months of inquiries.
Caught up in the euphoria of a clutch goal by Carlton's Jack Newnes Aug. 15, which saw the Blues victorious over Fremantle in the Australian Football League, Kheir upped the ante in his negotiations to secure the subsequent Cox Plate winner.
"That was that night I said that he could be bought, and there was a little bit of negotiation going on and Ozzie took control of that. He knows Tom Magnier. He was involved in the Yes Yes Yes deal together, so he had a personal relationship," Becker recalled.
"They did the deal on the phone that night after Carlton won the footy. It was quite amazing how it all transpired, and it's worked out in the end."
Sir Dragonet hails from a potent European family, being a son of the stakes-placed juvenile winner Sparrow, an Oasis Dream half sister to Italian listed winner Victory Song and Wetherbys Bank Cheshire Oaks winner Wonder of Wonders, while his third dam is Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Urban Sea.
She, of course, is the dam of European champion Sea The Stars and phenomenal Coolmore group 1-winning stallion Galileo, among others.
Sparrow has a stakes-performed juvenile brother to Sir Dragonet in Sir Lucan and a yearling colt by Caravaggio.
Becker reiterated Maher's view that Sir Dragonet was a legitimate Melbourne Cup (G1) contender on Tuesday week and that there was unlikely to be any thought of protecting his value as a potential stallion.
"The Melbourne Cup was the primary race, and it was our belief at the time (of buying him) that he can stay," he said.
"He's got a stallion's pedigree, but these guys are here to win major races, and if he's sound and well, I am sure they will be running him.
"I think it will be having a conversation about (his stallion value), but these guys are in it for the sport. They have got other horses that they race. Ozzie had Tagaloa, Brae (Sokolski) and Ozzie had Yes Yes Yes, those sort of horses as stallion prospects, but these horses we buy are here to win the major races.
"I would be very surprised if they didn't want to run him (in the Cup) because he is here to do that job."
Danny O'Brien said Russian Camelot produced the best run of his career to finish third and is likely to press on to the Melbourne Cup.
"I was really proud of him. He went forward from a hot tempo, and Damien Oliver gave him a superb ride," O'Brien said.
"He was left a sitting shot but kept on fighting."
Currently in lockdown, Becker chose to watch the race from his Melbourne office as he was too nervous to stay at home with the family.
"I had to get out of the house as I was driving the family crazy," he said.
"Ozzie and I were texting each other backwards and forwards still at 2 a.m. sitting in our lounge rooms looking out our windows waiting for the race.
"There wasn't much sleep last night, and we felt a lot better when the rain came."
