Having decided on aborting a potential Middle East trip with Okita Soushi, the Melbourne Cup placegetter is set to step out at Flemington on Saturday.
The Ciaron Maher-trained stayer is one of four runners from the stable that will line up in the TAB Australian Cup Race Day, 29 March (2000m).
He will be joined by Mankayan, United Nations and Night Endeavor.
Okita Soushi has not raced since finishing third to Knight’s Choice in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in November.
Jack Turnbull, Maher’s assistant trainer based at Cranbourne, said the team had been considering sending Okita Soushi to Dubai for a rich staying race in March, but the trip, logistically, was too tough.
“We had it on the cards,” Turnbull told RSN.
“He had two weeks off like the majority of our staying horses and we were prepping him for a potential Dubai assault, but we didn’t get there.
“Just logistically it was going to prove very difficult.”
Turnbull said after returning to work, Okita Soushi was going to be aimed at the Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on New Year’s Day, but the stable was not happy with his progress and elected to wait for Saturday’s assignment.
Okita Soushi has had two Cranbourne jump-outs over 1400m to prepare for Saturday’s return, the most recent being on January 6.
“We’ll run him on Saturday, have a bit of a fitness run and then he heads towards the Torney Cup at Moonee Valley about a month later,” Turnbull said.
“Then it will be off to the Sydney Cup.
“He is the class horse, but we know he doesn’t get warm until we get him to 12 furlongs.”
While Okita Soushi maybe the class member of the Maher stable in Saturday’s race, Turnbull expects Night Endeavor to run a forward race.
“I think he is the forgotten stayer,” Turnbull said.
“He is working towards this 2000-metre trip and will be better again over further.
“United Nations is back after a break and is heading towards the Sydney Cup while Mankayan, we’ve mixed things up with him.
“He’s just struggling for form, he’s showing us glimpses, but needs to get the first half right.”
