Imported horse Arod is set to have his first-up run in Melbourne in the C F Orr Stakes.
Formerly prepared in England by Peter Chapple-Hyam, Arod is now in the care of Chris Waller in Sydney.
A Group Two winner in England, Arod came to Australia for the 2015 Cox Plate finishing 11th behind Winx before backing up two weeks later in the Emirates Stakes, again finishing down the track.
He returned to Europe last year before Qatar Racing decided to send the six-year-old back to Australia.
After completing a two week quarantine stint at Werribee with other horses for last year’s spring carnival, Arod was transferred to Waller’s Flemington base and ran second in the Group Three L’Oreal Paris Stakes on November 3.
Geoffrey Faber, the Australian manager for Qatar’s Sheikh Fahad, said the Orr Stakes at Caulfield would be Arod’s first assignment in Melbourne this preparation.
Arod has had two trials in Sydney ahead of his return, finishing fourth in his first outing before running last at Randwick on Friday.
“He trialled on Friday in soft ground and he was no good,” Faber said.
“He hated it and shouldn’t have gone around in it but he’ll be fine when he gets down here.
“He’s settled in well and he’s up to Group One form here in Australia.”
Faber said Arod was due in Melbourne on Thursday and would head to Caulfield to gallop in the lead-up to Orr Stakes on February 11.
