A Doncaster Mile start awaits Japanese visitor Kluger who is settling into the quarantine facility at Canterbury racecourse having arrived in Sydney in preparation for The Championships.
Kluger arrived on Tuesday ahead of a planned start in the $3 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) on April 6 at Randwick and the horse was out on the track at Canterbury on Friday morning for some light exercise.
He is expected to start ramping up his work in the coming days with his trainer Tomokazu Takano due in town next week to watch him gallop.
Takano won the Japan Cup in 2015 with Shonan Pandora.
Kluger has five wins and six placings from 19 starts with his most recent win in 2016 in a Group Two 1600m-race at Kyoto.
The seven-year-old is at $26 for the $3 million Doncaster.
“He has settled in very nicely,” Kluger’s travelling groom Seiji Moriya said.
“He is an easy going horse so there’s not much worry about travelling. He’s eating well, drinking well.
“We’re very happy.”
Two Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin-owned horses, Sydney Cup favourite Dubhe and All Aged Stakes hopeful D’Bai are scheduled to arrive this weekend to start quarantine at Canterbury, while He’s Eminent has been at Canterbury since early this month and makes his Australian debut in Saturday’s Group One Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill for trainer Sir Mark Todd.
He’s Eminent, a placegetter in the 2017 Group One Irish Champion Stakes and fourth in that year’s Epsom Derby, had an easy morning out on the track at Canterbury on Friday ahead of Saturday’s weight-for-age race at Rosehill, his first start since last August in England.
“He did his last bit of serious work on Wednesday and so we’re just keeping him happy and loose for the moment and a little bit fresh for his run tomorrow,” Sir Mark said.
“The preparation has gone very well since we’ve been out here.”
