Best Solution teed up an assault on big prizes in Australia after claiming his second Group One race on German soil in three weeks with a determined success in the 146th Longines Grosser Preis Von Baden at Baden-Baden.
Having struck at the top level at Hoppegarten last month, the Godolphin-owned four-year-old produced another big performance to give trainer Saeed bin Suroor a third win in the Baden-Baden showpiece.
Night Music made the running, with Roger Varian’s raider Defoe in second and Best Solution not far behind until the race hotted up in the final quarter-mile.
Best Solution went on, as Defoe and Iquitos ranged up on either side of him. Defoe – having his first start since the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May – was slightly outpaced briefly, leaving Iquitos as the main danger.
Best Solution saw him off, while Defoe rallied to take second place and get within a neck of the winner at the line.
Best Solution was cut to 16-1 from 33-1 for the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne with Paddy Power. RaceBets introduced him at 25-1 for the Melborune Cup.
Bin Suroor revealed Best Solution would be heading to Australia and will go into quarantine shortly.
He told Press Association Sport: “I’m happy for him. He has improved and the jockey gave him a good ride.
“He was good, he won the race well and now the plan is to take him to Australia.
“He will be in quarantine on the 13th of this month. We will run him in the Caulfield Cup and then the Melbourne Cup.”
