Imported stayer Moriarty has had a rare Saturday off but will be back at Rosehill this week when he steps up to 2400 metres for the first time in Australia in the Christmas Cup.

The gelding racked up minor placings three Saturdays in a row starting on November 17 and trainer Chris Waller said he was handling his racing well.

Moriarty won three Benchmark races in the spring and was given a month off before his recent sequence.

His previous start over the distance of the Christmas Cup was in July last year in a Group Three race at Goodwood in England when he finished eighth.

The race was won by Namibian in a tight finish over Fiorente who has been seen once in Australia, running second to Green Moon in the Melbourne Cup.

"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.

"Depending on how he goes he could also run in the Summer Cup on Boxing Day."

Moriarty finished third at his most recent outing in the Listed ATC Cup (2200m) won by veteran Fiumicino who is also headed towards the two staying features.

The nine-year-old's victory was his first since the Group One BMW in the autumn of 2009.

Owned by Nick Moraitis and trained by the Hawkes family partnership, Fiumicino returned to racing earlier this year after an absence of more than two years recuperating from injury.

Like Moriarty, Cantonese has been a constant figure in the recent Sydney distance events and could also run in the Christmas Cup.

The Bjorn Baker-trained gelding has won five races since joining the Baker stable and finished fourth, beaten half a length, over 2000 metres on Saturday.

Baker's philosophy has been simple and he will keep taking one step at a time with Cantonese until the horse decides he has had enough.