The visiting Red Cadeaux team has a healthy respect for Hartnell who could be one of the world traveller's rivals in the Australian Cup at Flemington.

Robin Trevor-Jones, foreman for Red Cadeaux's trainer Ed Dunlop, was impressed with what he saw from Hartnell when he finished second to another Godolphin import Contributer in the Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm.

Making his Australian debut, Hartnell finished a half length behind Contributer, a former stablemate of Red Cadeaux.

Hartnell will be entered for Saturday's Australian Cup (2000m) and will also be nominated for the Sky High Stakes at Rosehill with trainer John O'Shea concerned about a possible hard track at Flemington.

English jockey James Doyle, who won on African Story and Hunter's Light at Meydan on Saturday, will return to Australia to ride for Godolphin at Flemington.

"Hartnell was finishing very well over a mile and he's going to be a danger over a mile-and-a-quarter and upwards," Trevor-Jones said.

"He is going to be a danger all the time."

Trevor-Jones said Hartnell had developed a good reputation in England before coming to Australia to join John O'Shea's stable.

"He's not as old as Red Cadeaux and hasn't had as many runs as Red Cadeaux but what he did in England was definitely OK," Trevor-Jones said.

And Trevor-Jones did not dismiss the performance of Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist who returned from a spell with a sixth placing in the Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday.

Red Cadeaux and Protectionist will lock horns again in the Australian Cup before they head to Sydney.

Should they meet in the Sydney Cup on April 11, Red Cadeaux will have a 2kg swing in the weights in his favour for his four-length defeat in the Melbourne Cup.

"I would rather have three (kilograms)," Trevor-Jones said.

"Two miles is Protectionist's trip and watching him run the other day and the further he goes, the better he gets.

"He's a good horse and he'll take some beating."