O’Shea had to find a willing buyer for the colt and progressive Victorian stud Rosemont was his first call.

“I thought it was fantastical to be able to buy a horse like him when they told me,” Rosemont Stud boss Anthony Mithen said.

“He is a three-quarter brother to best horse I have ever seen, which is now the heir apparent to best stallion [Galileo] I have seen.

“You can’t buy into that sort of family. That sort of horse doesn’t leave Europe.

“I’m still pinching myself that he is here and racing on Saturday.”

Mahon had been fielding offers for the colt all year but none would have allowed the family of Prince Khalid bin Abdullah to maintain a share in the prized colt.

“When John and Tom contacted us we had plenty of offers for the horse, but they were to sell the horse 100 per cent,” Mahon said. “He was a horse that was always held in high regard, with such a good pedigree, and Prince Khalid’s family wanted to stay in him.

“The proposal was to buy into the horse from Tom and John and Prince Khalid’s family were exciting to accept it and have another horse racing in his colours in Australia after the success they had with Finche.

“It was the right opportunity at the right time.”

The deal means the silks famously worn by champions from Dancing Brave to Frankel and Arrogate – and more recently Enable – will grace Rosehill on Saturday.

“We love our colours at Rosemont, and they will be on Coolmore favourite Extreme Warrior on the weekend, but if you are going to race in another set colours Juddmonte’s are the ones,” Mithen said.

“Everyone knows them and I remember them from watching Quest For Fame in them when I was starting out, but Frankel and Enable have made them unforgettable.

“I can’t believe it is happening.”

While the sale of Maximal was a dream, it has been far from smooth sailing since then after another couple of hurdles had to be jumped before the horse was flown to Australia with quarantine not confirmed until September.

Maximal had to be kept in work in England and with pandemic ongoing, he stayed in the care of his Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute and his team.

“He has been a phenomenal team player and he has trained right through the quarantine. If he performs well on Saturday part of the credit must go to Michael and his team,” Mahon said.

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“I saw him a couple of times before he left and the girl who looked after him all his life and his rider said he was in tip-top condition and John would tell you the same thing when he arrived.”

O’Shea’s opinion of Maximal hasn’t changed since he arrived in Australia, the only problems trying to find a suitable jockey and his luck with barriers.

Star jockey James McDonald had the first refusal on Maximal ride, but decided to go to Melbourne. Then Sam Clipperton was booked, but broke his jaw on Monday, leaving Alysha Collett to ride in the Golden Eagle. To make things tougher, they will have to contend with the outside barrier.

“The horse was in great condition when he got here and has been great since he got here,” O’Shea said. “We have changed our opinion of him.

“The draw is what it is, we just have to work with that, we just have to hope to find a good spot.

“Hopefully he gets a good run and if he does, he has the quality to win from what we have seen since he has been here.”

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