WHILE Melbourne and Caulfield Cups glory has eluded Aidan O’Brien – so far – the Irish training wizard is steadily broadening his assault on Australian Group 1 targets.

Revered as a master handler of stayers, O’Brien will chance his arm at Australian sprints – including the Group 1 Manikato Stakes at The Valley on October 26 – with Spirit Of Valour, Intelligence Cross and Fleet Review.

“We’re not as good with the sprinters as you are with your sprinters but God loves a trier,” O’Brien’s travelling foreman TJ Comerford said.

“Fleet Review and Spirit Of Valour are probably better than Intelligence Cross, but you have to try and hopefully we can salvage something sprinting.

“First time we’ve brought sprinters.

“Australia is renowned for sprinters and we got a pretty good one (Merchant Navy) off you and he won at Ascot. He worked out well.”

O’Brien’s greatest triumph in Australia was with Adelaide in the 2015 Cox Plate. O’Brien will also have his first Sydney this month when US Navy Flag runs in $13m The Everest.

Comerford said Ballydoyle will follow a familiar Cups path with Cliffs Of Moher and Yucatan, as the pair bid to improve on Johannes Vermeer’s brave efforts last spring.

Cleared to leave quarantine next week, the pair will be aimed at either the Caulfield Stakes or the Herbert Power Handicap, the same route used by Johannes Vermeer.

Third in the Caulfield Cup and second in the Melbourne Cup to Joseph O’Brien’s Rekindling, Johannes Vermeer also ran second in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes.

As Group 2 winner and runner-up in last year’s Derby to stablemate Wings Of Eagles, Cliffs Of Moher finished in front of Cracksman – and also Rekindling – at Epsom.

Comerford confirmed three of the horses in his care actually gained weight on a marathon 60-hour flight from the UK to Melbourne.

“All the horses have settled in well and are in good form,” he said. “When you think of the journey they had you’d think it would go against you, but I don’t think it has.

“They’re very well for the journey they had. We were travelling for three days.

“One never moved. Three of them put on weight and one of them lost about five kilos.

“I must be a very good air hostess.”