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The fate of this year's Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup as a top international race could swing on the outcome of today's Group One Doncaster Handicap at Randwick in Sydney.

 Torpedoed on all sides in the past week, the QEII Cup simply cannot afford any more defections if it is to be a meaningful Group Two event on the international calendar.

 Leading hope at the moment from the Southern Hemisphere is multiple Group One-placed Catalan Opening while New Zealand raider Palia, brought in late last week to shore up the faltering overseas challenge, also takes her place along with the Bart Cummings-trained star in today's big Australian showdown.

 Palia is prepared by Melbourne Cup-winning New Zealander Laurie Laxon and he has stated that plans for Hong Kong will not be finalised until after the running of the Doncaster.

 One reservation about Palia, although the Jockey Club has listed her as a definite starter, is the likely going at Sha Tin on April 18.

 'Her best form has been on rain-affected ground and we are hoping if she goes that the surface at Sha Tin will have the give in it to suit her.

 'We're happy with her recent form in Sydney and I believe she is now looking for 2,000 metres which is the distance of the QEII Cup,' said Laxon on the eve of the Doncaster.

 Palia has finished just behind the placegetters in her past two runs - both over 1,500 metres at Rosehill. Previously, her most recent race over the QEII Cup trip was at Ellerslie in New Zealand in January when she finished fourth, beaten just over three lengths in a Group One event.

 Catalan Opening has pleased his connections and Cummings has all but confirmed him as a definite starter for Sha Tin.

 'We have no reason to doubt that he won't be on the plane on Monday. We were pleased with the way he went in a race last week and he worked really well during the week,' said Cummings.

 'He is in good heart and I am expecting a good run from him in the Doncaster. Unless something goes amiss, then he will be heading for Hong Kong on Monday,' added Cummings.

 Catalan Opening, who won the International Bowl under Darren Beadman, will be accompanied by the same member of the Cummings' stable staff who brought him here before.

 Catalan Opening's stablemate, Perpetual Check, who races in exactly the same interests, is on standby to come if something does go amiss in the Doncaster.

 Perpetual Check will run at Randwick on Easter Monday - unless there is a last-minute call-up for Hong Kong. The race cannot afford another defection, particularly as the last-minute inclusions of Palia and The Message, another New Zealand challenger, do not really make up for the absence of Ireland's Make No Mistake and Almushtarak from England.

 Director of racing, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, found out quickly last week that money alone is not enough when it comes to getting quality horses to compete in Hong Kong.

 'It is a little disappointing, I must confess. We had a very good lineup and I was extremely hopeful that they would stand their ground as those were the indications we received.

 'But there is very little you can do about bad luck. The Irish horse hurt himself and Almushtarak was virtually on the plane when he went wrong,' said the official.

 Hong Kong's runners for the event will be announced on Wednesday but there are now likely to be a couple of less than top-line performers in the field.



Cummings sweats on Catalan's Doncaster