Group 1-winning jockey James Winks is preparing to start a five-month contract in Mauritius.

The 32-year-old will race ride outside Australian shores for the first time since the 2009-10 season, having claimed the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize aboard Dim Sum the season prior.

Winks has timed his run to perfection - his first meeting in Mauritius is highlighted by The Barbe Cup, a local-grade Group 1 that counts Luke Currie (2009) on its honour roll.

Winks will ride at Saturday's Flemington meeting, before flying out for Mauritius on Sunday - with The Barbe Cup held on July 2.

"I've always wanted to travel, and I have in the past, but I just felt the time was right with my young family to do it again now," Winks told Racing.com's Racing Ahead on RSN 927.

"I've been asked to go 3-4 times now, but the timing wasn't right.

"I had horses bob up for the spring, to go see if we can win a major. One of them was Bondeiger, and he ran second in a [Victoria] Derby.

"The timing was right - I've done Asia, I've done Malaysia, I've done Singapore and I did Hong Kong for a season.

"I've always wanted to end my career travelling somewhere - not that I'm ending my career - but it's just another opportunity that I wanted to take."

Winks said although he doesn't have rides lined up for the 2016 Melbourne spring, he'd board a plane for home shores should one arise.

"Obviously, that'd be ideal [to ride in the Melbourne spring]," he added.

"It came down to a decision with my wife that we're not number one anywhere, nothing locked in.

"If the opportunity comes, of course I'd come back here."

Winks said he had consulted fellow jockey Daniel Moor about Mauritius - the latter having ridden in the jurisdiction last year.

"They only race once a week, only eight races," Winks said of Mauritius racing.

"The weight scale is pretty good over there.

"I believe you don't have to ride anything below 56kg, so it'll give the body a break at the same time.

"We go over pretty open-minded, and hopefully we can be successful."

Winks will work for trainer Patrick Merven, while Stephen Baster could yet join the stable of Ricky Maingard, who has put in an official request to the Mauritius Turf Club to sign Baster.

Noel Callow is based in the jurisdiction, currently serving a three-month suspension.