There have been Irish, French, Japanese and German trained winners of the Melbourne Cup, and both the English and the fabulously wealthy Godolphin operation from Dubai have knocked up trying, without success, to win Australia's greatest race.
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But can a trainer from the unlikely base of Qatar succeed where some of the biggest names in the game have failed?
It's unlikely few in Australia have heard of Jassim Ghazali, who is based in the tiny Middle East country more synonymous, for now, with its controversial World Cup winning bid than its racing prowess.
But Ghazali could have the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups very much on the radar for his five-year-old galloper Dubday, a son of Dubawi, who made history for the gulf state when on Friday he became the first horse trained in Qatar to win in the UK.
Dubday, partnered by the evergreen Frankie Dettori, scored in the group 3 Glorious Stakes at the Goodwood Festival, beating promising types in a race that was a decent test.
That race was over 2400 metres, and Dubday, who shapes as a stayer with a turn of foot, looks to have all the credentials to make a bold show in races such as the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Ghazali was reluctant to make any firm commitments in the immediate afterglow of victory, but the Qatari was clearly tempted by the huge prize pot on offer and the glory that would come if he could achieve such a feat. In the end, he said, the decision would be made by Sheik Johann, in whose Al Shaqab Racing colours the horse runs.
"Now is in the mind to talk about it," Ghazali said. "I will see what first my boss Sheik Johann likes. I need to sit and check with him where he would like to go. Maybe, why not. If we have a chance to go there, why not.
"It would be very nice for me. I am happy to have the first Qatar winner in the UK. I would hope to have the chance to go to Australia.
"I like the Melbourne Cup ... I am not sure he can do the two miles well. He is best at 2400 metres but I don't know what the quality of his opposition would be. I think he would stay the trip there."
