Hardy galloper The Cleaner coped with a rough trip across Bass Strait better than his connections.

Longford trainer Mick Burles loaded The Cleaner onto the Spirit of Tasmania ferry on Thursday night to get him to Melbourne to run in Saturday's Jeep Don't Hold Back Handicap (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

Wild winds whipped across both Victoria and Tasmania on Thursday, causing mountainous seas in Bass Strait for The Cleaner's trip to Melbourne.

Burles said he was concerned the ferry operator would postpone the trip until Friday but the crossing went ahead as scheduled.

"I thought they'd pull the pin on the trip and wouldn't go because it was pouring rain as well and I was worried he'd have to come over on Friday and go straight to the races," Burles said.

The Spirit Of Tasmania pounded through seven-metre waves during the 460-kilometre journey but Burles said The Cleaner ate and drank throughout the trip.

"He licked his bin out coming over, it didn't worry him. You could take him to China and he wouldn't turn a hair," Burles said

But the same could not be said for the trainer and one of The Cleaner's owners.

"One of his owners was up crook all night. I was up six inches off the bed, I was on the floor and I was up against the bloody wall at times. I didn't get any sleep at all."

The Cleaner is the $2.70 favourite to score his 16th win at his 41st start but Burles views the race as a test to see if the seven-year-old is worthy of a start in next month's Group Two Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes over the 1600m course at Moonee Valley.

Burles said The Cleaner had worked strongly since his last-start second to the talented Akavoroun in the Listed Winter Championship Series Final at Flemington on July 12.

The Cleaner will have a new jockey for his Moonee Valley outing with experienced rider Noel Callow taking over from the injured Anthony Darmanin.

Darmanin suffered a knee injury when he fell after riding a winner at Mowbray last month.