Okita Soushi heads to Moonee Valley to start a Melbourne Cup campaign that the Ciaron Maher stable hopes leads to a slight improvement on 12 months ago.
The Irish-bred import finished third in last year’s Melbourne Cup after looming in the straight as the possible winner.
Having raced just once since last year’s Cup, over 2000m at Flemington in January, Okita Soushi is down to run in the Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap (1523m) on Saturday.
It will be the start of three prep runs ahead of the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 18 and the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4.
Jack Turnbull, Maher’s National Assistant Trainer, said Okita Soushi was a little behind in where he should be for a first-up assignment over 1500m.
“But because of his program and where we want to get to, being the Melbourne Cup, this is a nice starting point,” Turnbull said.
“He’s only had the one public jump-out, so naturally there will be good improvement.
“He will be in the second half and ideally running up behind them and having a really good blow, being race day.”
Okita Soushi tweaked a branch in a suspensory when preparing for an autumn campaign having originally been talked of as a potential Dubai contender earlier in the year.
“He did tweak a suspensory branch, not a full tendon injury, and that is why he had the time off,” Turnbull said.
“We had to rehab it, and he is an entire and he’s a big lad, so we didn’t want to rush him back.
“He doesn’t like wet tracks, so missing the autumn was an easier thing, although it would have been nice to have been there for the Sydney Cup, but now, being spring, hopefully we can concentrate on better ground.”
Turnbull said the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield next month would lead Okita Soushi to the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington and then onto the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Go Daddy, another Irish-bred import, will make his Australian debut in the same race and Turnbull said the gelding will find the 1523m trip too short.
“He’s there to run well, but I would imagine he will settle towards the back and be running on,” Turnbull said.
“He’s one we’ll poke up through the handicap system and try and qualify for the Melbourne Cup, if he’s good enough, but being his first racing campaign in Australia, we’ll let him do it, rather than push him to do it.”
The Maher team also has Detonator Jack and Running By in Saturday’s contest, although Turnbull said Running By was likely to head to Adelaide for the Listed Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks.
“While she’s Black Type placed, it’s a good opportunity for her to hopefully get a Black Type win on her record,” Turnbull said.
