“The travel time from stable to stable is 24 hours, which isn’t too bad. You have the prizemoney, which is worth $5 million to the winner. And at this time of year, there are only a few suitable races for three-year-old fillies over the mile.

“This is a good race for her. She is a very good horse.

“Racing in Japan is a big sport, she’s a famous filly, so there are lots of fans who follow her.”

Ascoli Piceno and fellow Japanese filly Corazon Beat arrived at Canterbury, in Sydney’s south-west, to begin quarantine on October 15. Strict government protocols require all participants, including Sai, assistant trainer Kenjiro Suzuki, and Yusuke Arakawa, the foreman for Northern Farm Tenei, to shower for three minutes and scrub their phones before exiting the training facility. The trio have spent the past ten days sampling different restaurants each night along Norton St in Leichhardt.

Champion jockey Joao Moreira sat on Ascoli Piceno for the first time on Wednesday, and he was not disappointed.

“She’s just good, man – I’m really excited,” Moreira said.

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Ascoli Piceno, a filly which has won four of her six career starts and finished second twice, will start from barrier 17 on Saturday. She will return home before being targeted at big-money races in Saudi Arabia or Dubai early next year.

English horse Lake Forest is also staying at Canterbury, as is a fourth Golden Rose international, unbeaten French galloper Lazzat.