Criterion, the winner of the rich Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney earlier this year, and one-time Melbourne Cup favourite Sea Moon are in Europe ready to tackle some of the world's top races.

Criterion left Hong Kong recently for his trip to England and, despite the horse arriving at Newmarket with an elevated temperature, his trainer David Hayes believes the horse is now in great shape. "When he took the Hong Kong-to-England leg he arrived with a bit of a temperature but we've got on top of that, however it meant that he missed a bit of work but according to the team at Newmarket he's in great shape.

"Oh, it will be difficult to win races that we've got in mind for him but we think it's very much achievable for him to win the Prince of Wales Stakes.

"I'm flying out at the weekend and will be at the gallops next Tuesday to see him work. Either Chad Schofield or Frankie Dettori will take the ride."

Sea Moon, who is owned by one of Australia's most successful owners, Lloyd Williams, has returned to Ireland and will be prepared by John Oxx. After Sea Moon failed to win the group 2 Zipping Classic at Sandown last year Williams decided to send the horse back to Ireland.

Sea Moon encountered travel sickness on the way, but Oxx has told Sporting Life that the horse has improved sharply. "He only arrived with me on the first of February. He had some shipping fever when he came. He had it before but Sir Michael sent him to Hong Kong where he had to be withdrawn with shipping fever.

"He had a nasty dose of shipping fever and almost died when he came back.

"He didn't start to do any sort of exercise until the third week in April so we're only a month into his gradual build-up."

While Oxx admits that Sea Moon's entry into the Prix de I'Arc de Triomphe was very much a precautionary move and David Hayes said Criterion was unlikely to be in the Arc, both trainers will be guided by how the horses fare in the next months.

"If he performs really well in the Prince of Wales, we'd probably look for another race during the English summer, but all of that will be under discussion in time to come," Hayes said. "Ideally, we would like him back in Australia for the Cox Plate but then again he could go from the Arc to the Japan Cup - that's all got to be worked out."

Hayes' son Ben flew with Criterion from Hong Kong to England and has been with horse side ever since.