Destiny should dictate that Benbaun wins the featured Scarbrough Stakes when Doncaster's St Leger meeting begins today. This doughty, enduring sprinter has been the finest advertisement for the skills of his trainer, Mark Wallace, who last night revealed that he is to hand in his licence next month, before relocating in Australia.

Wallace, 35, will leave his rented yard in Newmarket after five years of steady advancement punctuated by the group race victories of Benbaun. He plans to resume training in Sydney early next year, having accepted the challenge of a pioneering opportunity.

“People might wonder why I'm leaving when things are going well here but this is a chance to do something that's never been done before,” Wallace said. “To the best of my knowledge, no trainer has gone from Britain to set up in Australia. I'm the right age to take it on and nothing is tying me to this country - my girlfriend, Lisa O'Neill, is coming out with me.”

Wallace, born in Ireland and a past assistant of Aidan O'Brien, is not new to Australia and some of the contacts he made, while working on a stud, have influenced his decision. So, too, has Peter Moody, who brought Magnus from Australia to run at Royal Ascot. “Peter and his horse lodged here in June and he encouraged me to pursue this idea,” Wallace explained. “Surprisingly, I haven't had to jump through many hoops to make it happen. I'll be based at the Warwick Farm track in Sydney and the Australian Jockey Club have indicated they're keen to have me, both as a new young trainer on the site and as someone from overseas.

“I love training in Newmarket but the money is very good in Australia and I just relish the challenge of making it work. Some of my existing owners, including the Plantation Stud, say they will have horses with me and I'll be busy at the yearling sales when they start there in January.”

Wallace is conscious of how appropriate it would be if Benbaun won today's listed contest. “He only cost me seven grand and he's put me on the map. Winning a group one on Arc day [the Prix de l'Abbaye] last year was a big boost and he'll run in the race again next month, though I won't have many other horses left here by then.

“I want to run him today and Pat Smullen is coming over from Ireland to ride. The only thing that would put me off is very soft ground.” Sadly, that may yet be the case, with Doncaster taking significant rainfall yesterday.

As Wallace prepares to leave Newmarket, another Irishman is about to settle there. Robert Winston, rebuilding his riding career after a one-year corruption ban, intends to leave his Yorkshire home and base himself in the headquarters of Flat racing.

Winston rides the 1,000 Guineas runner-up, Spacious, at Doncaster on Friday and is picking up regular rides both for her trainer, James Fanshawe, and others in Newmarket such as Sir Michael Stoute and Gerard Butler.

“I remember Kevin Darley saying the biggest mistake of his career was not going to Newmarket,” Winston said. “I'm 28 now, and very ambitious to take my career to another level. I need to be riding out for good stables and I can do that much easier if I'm living where the best racing and the bigger stables are based.”