Singapore Airlines International Cup winner Dan Excel has arrived in Sydney ahead of his preparation for the Cox Plate.

The Hong Kong star, who won Singapore’s biggest race in May with Australian Tommy Berry aboard, arrived on Monday morning and was transported to the Eastern Creek quarantine centre.

He will spend two weeks in quarantine before being moved to owner David Boehm’s property, Muskoka Farm, on Sydney’s outskirts.

Dan Excel will then begin his countdown to the Cox Plate in October with trainer John Moore’s brother Gary Moore who will shortly open a stable at Rosehill.

International Racehorse Transport quarantine manager at Eastern Creek, Damian Ford, said Dan Excel appeared to have coped well with the nine hour flight and was settling into his new surroundings.

“Dan Excel looks to have travelled well and he stepped off the plane in good order this morning before being floated to Eastern Creek,” Ford told racingvictoria.net.au.

“He’s a seasoned horse that is quite well travelled and he’s settling in well to another foreign setting.”

Racing Victoria’s international recruitment officer, Leigh Jordon, said he believed Dan Excel’s early arrival could be an example for other overseas horses coming to Australia.

“It is earlier than we’ve traditionally seen the first international horses arrive in Australia for the spring racing carnival but it’s extremely exciting to have Dan Excel here already,” Jordon said.

“He has proven his ability at an elite level on the world stage and will be one of the best performed internationally-trained horses to contest the Cox Plate.”