Still, a strong effort in the group 2 Apollo Stakes over 1400 metres at Randwick on Saturday won't go astray.

And connections are expecting just that from the Kris Lees-trained star.

Last year's Newcastle Cup (2300m) winner races at 1400m for the first time when he resumes following his luckless last-start fourth in the Cox Plate (2040m).

Lees has chosen the shorter distance in preparation for an All-Star Mile run on March 13 at Moonee Valley.

Mugatoo was 12^th on Friday in voting on the make-up of the field, but that list included Verry Elleegant at No.4. She is not contesting the race and others in front of Mugatoo could also drop out.

Four wildcards are also chosen to complete the 14-horse field and connections believe Mugatoo will be among those if he is not in the top 10 votegetters.

"His was the run of the Cox Plate so surely common sense prevails and the committee puts him in," Australian Bloodstock co-director Luke Murrell said.

"I think he'll be there."

Regardless, Murrell expected Mugatoo to improve his claims on Saturday.

"I think Kris is thinking of a short prep, a couple of runs then come back for the spring, so he'd be pretty forward I'd suggest," he said.

The Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the autumn and Cox Plate in the spring are other major targets for six-year-old import, which has won six of 10 starts in Australia.

"I just thought a 1400 metre race with one trial, it will be a bit like a second trial and that will give us four weeks until the All-Star Mile," Lees told AAP. "Hopefully he is forward enough but still fresh enough to sprint well."

Another interesting runner for the Newcastle combination is Gem Song.

The former Gooree Stud horse, now a gelding, is back at the races after a 67-week break following a suspensory ligament injury suffered in the 2019 Golden Eagle.

A winner of the group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes and Gunsynd Classic as a three-year-old, Gem Song was bought by a group including Lees and Australian Bloodstock when on the sidelines.

The now five-year-old resumes off three trials in the group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m).

"We were fully aware that he's got plenty of issues," Murrell said. "He was always going to be a high-risk one but Gooree were having their dispersal sale, he came up and Kris was up front that he's high risk but he's obviously got ability and we just punted on him.

"I didn't like his trials but Kris' update was that he's quite confident that he's going well."

Lees told his website: "We have given him plenty of time to recover and he has been gelded. He is in good order, but naturally will take improvement from this race after such a long layoff."

Never Talk, owned by Lees and Newcastle Jockey Club staff, steps up to black-type level in the group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m).

"She needs a bit of rain to bring her into contention against the better quality fillies but she is doing well," Lees told AAP.