Meanwhile, Cox Plate-winning Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi has put Unicorn Lion and Ho O Amazon into quarantine to target next month’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes and All Aged Stakes at Randwick. The Japanese pair will join 18 European raiders that arrived at the Canterbury quarantine centre on the weekend.

Unicorn Lion is a $15 chance in the Queen Elizabeth, and joins Dubai Honour, $11 at the TAB, as the chief international competition for Godolphin star Anamoe, which is the $2.30 favourite for the $5 million centrepiece of The Championships on April 8.

Unicorn Lion ran in last year’s Japan Cup, but his best results have come at the 2000m of the Queen Elizabeth.

“He is a multiple group 3 winner in Japan and probably ran his peak figure was in the Takarazuka Kinen [over 2200m] when he ran second to the amazing filly Chrono Genesis,” ATC General manager of racing, James Ross said.

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