Connections of Simenon will be satisfied if their charge can claim a share of the $6.31 million prize pot on offer in Sunday’s Japan Cup at Tokyo racecourse.
The six-year-old was last seen finishing a creditable fourth in the Melbourne Cup earlier this month, beaten just two and a half lengths by Fiorente over two miles.
He will be dropping back to a mile and a half this time, the same distance at which he finished third in a Caulfield Group Two on his Australian bow.
Trainer Willie Mullins has had his nephew, Emmet, supervising Simenon’s preparations and the team are delighted with how the gelding has taken his travels.
“Emmet is over there with him and he’s been delighted with the way he settled in and apparently his coat looks great,” said the trainer’s son, Patrick.
“When we went there we didn’t envisage taking on Gentildonna (last year’s winner). If we can get a share of the good prize money we’ll be delighted.”
Joshua Tree will be lining up in the Grade One event for the second time having finished 10th when trained by Aidan O’Brien in 2010.
The six-year-old is now in the care of Ed Dunlop and was last seen winning the Canadian International at Woodbine for the second time last month.
Dunlop told www.japanracing.jp: “He looks to be moving well, his weight’s good and he looks well for the time of year.
“We’re all happy, but not happy with the draw (17). An outside draw will change plans, but I hope there is good pace – we’ll leave it to the jockey (Johnny Murtagh) because he’s world class.
French raider Dunaden is another to roll on to Japan after running in Melbourne, where he finished 11th, beaten just under nine lengths.
Trainer Mikel Delzangles said: “It was a long travel from Melbourne through Hong Kong – it was quite longer than we thought – but he’s used to travelling and he recovered very quickly.
“He’s fresh and fit enough so he won’t do much more than what he did this morning till the race.
“I hope the track won’t be too firm. I don’t want him to hurt himself, that’s my only concern.”
Gentildonna heads the home team as she tries to repeat last year’s victory, but the four-year-old has yet to get her head in front in three starts this years.
She will have a new jockey this time, though, as Ryan Moore takes the ride in place of Yasunari Iwata, who has ridden the filly in her six most recent outings.
