Australia faces six rivals as he goes for his fourth successive Group One win of the season in the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.
The English and Irish Derby scorer took the step back to just over a mile and a quarter in his stride when winning the Juddmonte International Stakes at York last month despite connections saying the colt was not fully wound up.
Joseph O’Brien, who has partnered Australia in all seven of his lifetime starts, told RTÉ Sport: “He seems in good form.
“He had a little break after the [Irish] Derby and York was his first run back.
“He ran a blinder and we were delighted with him that day.
“He seems to have come out of the race good and hopefully he can step up from the run.
“We were a little bit worried that he had put on plenty of weight since Epsom and the Curragh, but he got away with it on the day and he seems in good shape.
“Obviously, he hasn’t done a massive amount of work since York, but he seems in good form and we’re hoping for another big run.”
As the son of a dual Derby (Galileo) and dual Oaks (Ouija Board) winner, Australia was expected by many to prove most effective over 12 furlongs. But his York win, and what O’Brien regards as a somewhat unlucky defeat when third in the 2000 Guineas, point to a colt whose optimum trip may be over shorter distances.
“He was a little bit unlucky in the Guineas at Newmarket, in so far as the race developed on the other side of the track and he came up the stands’ rail on his own," added O'Brien.
“But since then things have gone pretty much to plan and were looking forward to a big second half of the season.”
Stat-attack: Trainer Aidan O’Brien has won five of the last 10 renewals of the Irish Champion Stakes
Aidan O'Brien's top-class three-year-old will be taken on again by The Grey Gatsby, who chased him home two lengths down in second place in the International Stakes on the Knavesmire.
The Prix du Jockey Club winner was added to the Irish Champion field at the supplementary stage by his trainer Kevin Ryan.
Kingfisher has done sterling work as pacemaker for stablemate Australia in his last three races and gets the key role again.
Al Kazeem, runner-up to The Fugue 12 months ago when sent off odds-on favourite, bids to go one better after returning to the track following a failed stud career.
The Roger Charlton-trained six-year-old broke the track record when winning the Group Three Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor on his second run back.
Mukhadram could only finish fourth behind Australia at York but had earlier defeated Trading Leather in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, while Dermot Weld’s Alkasser is likely to assume pacemaking duties for the William Haggas-trained colt.
Trading Leather, trained by Jim Bolger, was third in this race last year and completes the seven-strong line-up.
