Sea Moon could make an amazing return to racing after being close to death on the journey back to Europe from Australia.
His new trainer John Oxx reports the seven-year-old to have made a remarkable recovery from illness during the winter and has been exercising for almost a month now.
The Currabeg handler is hoping he could make a surprising comeback in the second half of the season and Sea Moon has been given a speculative entry in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in which he was eighth to Solemia in 2012.
The son of Beat Hollow was previously owned by Khalid Abdullah and trained by Sir Michael Stoute for whom he won the Great Voltigeur Stakes, was third in the 2011 St Leger and landed the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012.
He was sold to continue his racing career in Australia with Robert Hickmott where he did a win a Grade Two handicap in October 2013 and ran respectably in the Melbourne Cup won by Fiorente the following month.
However, his form dipped last year and his owners felt it was worth sending him to be trained back in Europe.
Sickness on the journey home threatened to ruin any plans, but Sea Moon is now in good health and in good form.
"He was a good horse, particularly as a four-year-old for Sir Michael Stoute," said Oxx.
"He went out to Australia. He won out there, but the owners felt he wasn't suited to it and he didn't do as well as expected, compared to his English form.
"They sent him back. He's a seven-year-old colt now and it's hard to know how things are going to go.
"He has a long way to go, but obviously if he could come back to his four-year-old form in particular - he was eighth in the Arc - then he could be a good horse, but the Arc is a speculative entry.
"He only arrived with me on the first of February. He had some shipping fever when he came. He'd had it before when Sir Michael sent him to Hong Kong where he had to be withdrawn with shipping fever.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.
"He's a long way to go yet and he's a horse for the second half of the season. We'll just have to take it day by day and see how he goes, but he's a lovely horse and he's in great form.
"He's made a remarkable recovery. He's fresh and well. He's got a good temperament and has been well looked after while he's been away.
"He still seems to be enthusiastic and for a colt he has an excellent temperament."
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