Connections of Simenon believe he has improved for his excellent run in the Melbourne Cup ahead of the Japan Cup this weekend.

Runner-up in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the Lonsdale Cup at York, the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old made the journey to Australia in September, accompanied every step of the way by the trainer's nephew, Emmet.

After finishing a close-up third on his Australian debut in the Herbert Power Stakes, Simenon then ran a hugely creditable fourth in the Melbourne Cup in the hands of champion jockey Richard Hughes.

Emmet Mullins is delighted with the six-year-old gelding's progress since he arrived in Tokyo.

"Things have been going great," Mullins told At The Races.

"He surprised us every step of the way how he travelled (in the Melbourne Cup) - it was almost unbelievable.

"He has never flown before so that was always a worry - he can be a bit skittish - but he's handled it all brilliantly.

"We try and keep our routine as similar as possible as at home.

"I've been riding him all the way through and we thought he'd improved coming up to the Melbourne Cup. He's done the same here again.

"Everyone seems to be happy with him. It's a good climb the whole way to the final furlong and hopefully the race will pan out nicely for him."