A 1500-metre benchmark 78 handicap at Rosehill in January is a long way from where Hunter connections saw Mugatoo after he blew away a field at Doncaster in the UK last May.
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Syndication company Australian Bloodstock purchased the Irish-bred gelding with the Melbourne Cup in mind and he rose sharply to attention when winning under a heavy hold in comical fashion at Doncaster over 2922m.
But he followed that with two unplaced efforts in the UK before an injury setback wiped out spring ambitions in Australia.
Now back after a wind operation in England and a second-placed trial run at his adopted home with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees on December 30, Mugatoo will start his Australian career in race nine at Rosehill on Saturday but with still lofty ambitions in the sights of connections.
"He's got a fair enough handicap so rather than throwing him in the deep end, we'll just look after him and take it slow," Australian Bloodstock director Luke Murrell said.
"We think he's that top [Melbourne Cup] level, but we just want to see him.
"He hasn't had a run since the operation so we just want to see it under the raceday stress.
"If he runs to our expectations this prep, I like to think he could end up in a BMW or a Sydney Cup.
"He's still got a low handicap so he'd have to win quite a few races to get through to that but we think he could.
"He's impressed everyone at home and his trial the other day was really good."
Mugatoo, from gate 12 of 13 and with Hugh Bowman aboard, was on the second line of betting at $5 with the TAB for Saturday's race.
Murrell was not counting on a win first-up from the stayer but he was hopeful of a strong run over 1500m on what was a soft surface on Friday.
"His form would indicate that he needs two miles, but the way he's showed up here, he looks like he could show up in a mile race," he said.
"We know his ideal surface would be a dead track.
"He's got some ability. He could easily blow them away because he's a completely different level, but if it's a slow-run race, and he gets back, and if they don't sprint to the 300 and he's giving them seven or eight, it might be too hard for him."
Condor ($13), for Newcastle trainer-jockey combination Paul Perry and Sammie Clenton, is also in the race. He was a last-start winner at Canterbury over 1550m and has gate three on Saturday.
Lees' best chance at the meeting looks to be Stella Sea Sun in race four, where it was the $3.20 favourite after a close fourth first-up at Randwick.