Dubai: It will be interesting to see what kind of impact Godolphin’s new Australian operation will have on the racing scene Down Under, given the innovations taking place in the country, particularly with revamped events like the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

One thing is certain, they will be looking to make an early impression and establish themselves as a definite contender for all the major prizes on offer. Godolphin have the quality and numbers to succeed like they have done in the UK, France and the US, but their biggest asset is their resolve.

When Godolphin was established in the early nineties by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the objective was to be the best stable in the world. And it did not take them long to fulfil that ambition.

Balanchine and Lammtarra led the way with significant Derby triumphs in Ireland and England while horses like Mark Of Esteem, Halling, Swain and Cape Cross soon gave the brand a distinctive glow.

John Ferguson, Shaikh Mohammad’s long serving racing adviser, summed up Godolphin’s latest enterprise by saying: “The more powerful racing is. the more competition there is, the more investment there is in Australia, the more Shaikh Mohammad likes it.”

It is a philosophy that has paid dividends so why not stick with it. Sure, the challenges will be there, as they always are at the outset, but Godolphin have the support system to see them through. And quick.

Successful Sydney trainer John O’Shea, who has been chosen to spearhead the team, joins a growing army of Godolphin handlers including Saeed Bin Surour and Charlie Appleby in the UK, Andre Fabre and Henri-Alex Pantall in France, Jim Bolger, Michael Halford and Willie McCreery in Ireland as well as Kiaran McLaughlin, Eoin Harty and Tom Albertrani.

The pressure will be on him to deliver, but it’s a nice pressure to experience. History is on his side as Godolphin horses have amassed no fewer than 211 Group One races in 12 different countries across four continents. They have also netted 62 Classics. If these statistics don’t inspire then nothing else can.

I’m pretty sure O’Shea that O’Shea can give Godolphin’s latest endeavour the sort of start that it will be looking for. It’s not a gut feeling, but a calculated guess given the horse numbers at his disposal. With 120 already in work at Warwick Farm, 80 more at a training farm in New South Wales and another 50 at Flemington you can say that he has an embarrassment of riches.

If the Godolphin operation is not the biggest stable in Australia already I’m sure it will soon become the biggest. OK, perhaps quantity does not point at sure-fire success, but when you have depth, it increases your options. And that can’t be a bad thing.

With the establishment of a permanent base in Australia, it will also probably mean that fewer Godolphin horses will make the journey from their bases in Newmarket or Dubai to Australia. The focus will be on locally trained horses, horses that can cash in on the home advantage as they challenge for Australia’s biggest purses, and the biggest one of them — the A$6.5 million (Dh22.4 million) Emirates Melbourne Cup.

From the late nineties Godolphin have targeted the “race that stops the nation” with little luck. At best they have come close on three occasions. Now, that indiscretion looks set to change.