Like so many British and Irish based trainers, Aidan O'Brien has to date found the Melbourne Cup an elusive prize.
'The race that stops a nation' at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November is one of the world's iconic Flat contests.
A two-mile handicap, usually run on the quick ground, it is devilishly tough to win but the recent Ascot Gold Cup suggested that O'Brien's Ballydoyle juggernaut might finally be ready to crack the Melbourne puzzle.
Order Of St George produced a stirring effort to triumph in the Ascot stayers' event, run over two and a half miles.
The grit, determination and, eventually, the inevitability with which Order Of St George won his race at Ascot bodes well for Australia, a destination O'Brien has already declared is part of his plan for last year's Irish St Leger winner.
In the wake of the Gold Cup success, Order Of St George finds himself right near the top of the market in the racing betting for the Flemington showpiece and he looks like being arguably O'Brien's best hope yet of tasting victory Down Under.
In securing victory at Ascot, Order Of St George extended to five his winning sequence.
That winning run began at 1m2f last summer before Irish St Leger success arrived over the 1m6f trip. His ability to win by wide margins was showcased again on his seasonal reappearance in Ireland but it was his Ascot win that best framed his Melbourne credentials.
Stepped up beyond 1m6f for the first time in his career, there were some lingering stamina doubts in certain quarters ahead of the Gold Cup.
The race proved to be a tetchy affair, with Ryan Moore and Order Of St George meeting trouble in running amid what was a rough race by any standards.
Afterwards, the winning trainer and jockey talked about a 'nightmare' passage through the race. Shuffled back through the pack as the home turn loomed, Order Of St George appeared to have a real task on his hands to reel back the long-time leader, Mille Et Mille.
Despite the stamina doubts and the trouble in running, what cannot be argued when reviewing the Gold Cup now is that the longer the race went on, the more it became crystal clear there would be only one winner.
Moving to the wide outside to lay down his effort, Moore brought Order Of St George smoothly up to challenge courtesy of an impressive gear change that his rivals simply could not match.
That ability to overcome in-race adversity, coupled with the pace to make up any lost ground, are traits that will surely serve this four-year-old well should he make it Flemington in November.
Part-owner Lloyd Williams has tasted Melbourne Cup success on four previous occasions and his association with the son of Galileo makes Australia a logical destination.
Dermot Weld's Media Puzzle was the last UK or Irish trained winner of 'the race that stops a nation' 14 years ago. O'Brien will be keeping his fingers crossed that the impressive Order Of St George might just prove to be the missing piece in his own Melbourne jigsaw in a few month time.