Lagostovegas was third in the Cesarewitch last year© Photo Healy Racing
Royal Ascot heroine Lagostovegas and beaten Ebor favourite Stratum are two of 11 possible runners for Willie Mullins in the Dubai Cesarewitch at Newmarket on October 13th.
Mullins has never won the prestigious Flat handicap, but appears intent on opening his account this year, with the total prize fund having been increased to 500,000 pounds.
Lagostovegas was third in last season's Cesarewitch and led home a Mullins 1-3-4-5 in the Ascot Stakes in June.
Following an impressive victory in Newbury's JLT Cup, Stratum was a warm order for the Ebor at York last month, but encountered trouble in running on his way to finishing in midfield.
Other Mullins-trained contenders include Cheltenham Festival winner Limini and talented dual-purpose performer Whiskey Sour.
Mullins said: "The horses are well at the moment and, although there is still a long time to go, I am keen to get as many of them to the Cesarewitch as possible.
"Stratum has bounced back well from the Ebor, where things did not go to plan, and I would imagine the Cesarewitch will be something that we will target with him.
"I will try to get Lagostovegas there again. We will play it day by day with her and it will depend on the ground as to where she goes next — she needs nice ground.
"We took a chance running Limini twice at Galway but she has come out of those races well. We will look at Irish Champions Weekend for her and the Cesarewitch is still very much a possibility."
Laws Of Spin, Meri Devie, Gustavus Vassa, Low Sun, Uradel, Chelkar and Law Girl complete the Closutton team.
Mullins added: "Low Sun looks an ideal Cesarewitch candidate and the good thing about him is that he handles any ground. Although neither he nor Uradel made the first three at Bellewstown last week (finishing sixth and fourth) I was happy with how they ran."
The Mullins squad is part of a 21-strong Irish entry which also features five trained by Aidan O’Brien and one, Light Pillar trained by Aidan’s son, Joseph.
The weights are headed by Nearly Caught, trained by Hughie Morrison, and another member of the huge Irish contingent, Jim Bolger’s Twilight Payment.
There are a total of 84 entries with a maximum field of 34 runners.
