Chris Waller’s consistent European import Moriarty is set to step up in distance this Saturday when the in-form five-year-old races over the mile and a half for the first time here in Australia for the Christmas Cup 2012 at Rosehill Gardens.

The Clodovil gelding has been racing down under with Waller since the start of the year and was only given their first stakes assignment here last time out.

Moriarty handled that well running a good third when beaten just over a length by the Hawkes-trained Fiumicino in the Listed ATC Cup (2200m) at Warwick Farm on December 1.

They will back up this weekend in the $100,000 Listed Christmas Cup (2400m), Moriarty seeing the 2400m for the first time since their disappointing eighth in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes (2414m) at Goodwood in July of 2011.

The form line on that race however has proved supreme with Namibian beating home subsequent Melbourne Cup runner-up Fiorente who now races in Australia under the care of Gai Waterhouse, and Waller hopes Moriarty can continue that good form this weekend.

“Moriarty will go around again,” Waller said.

“He’s standing up to his racing really well and his three wins from his past six starts says that.”

It is shaping up as a crack edition of the Sydney Summer Series classic too with ATC Cup winner Fiumicino and runner-up King Utah among the other more notable entries.

The bulk of the field, Moriarty included, will continue onto the $125,000 Group 3 Summer Cup back over the 2400m at Rosehill on Boxing Day.

“Depending on how he goes he could also run in the Summer Cup on Boxing Day,” Waller said.

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