Dual Group One winner Scenic Shot will have his first run in more than a year over 1400 metres in the Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington.The Perth-trained eight-year-old is scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday and launch his Australian Cup campaign on Saturday.A winner of 15 races and $2.5 million prize money, Scenic Shot has been off the scene with "wear and tear" issues since finishing sixth to Lords Ransom in the Group Two Cox Stakes at Ascot on December 19, 2009.Just over a month

Dual Group One winner Scenic Shot will have his first run in more than a year over 1400 metres in the Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington.

The Perth-trained eight-year-old is scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday and launch his Australian Cup campaign on Saturday.

A winner of 15 races and $2.5 million prize money, Scenic Shot has been off the scene with "wear and tear" issues since finishing sixth to Lords Ransom in the Group Two Cox Stakes at Ascot on December 19, 2009.

Just over a month earlier he had won the Group One Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington after a stellar Brisbane winter campaign highlighted by a hat-trick of wins in the Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) and Group Two features, the O'Shea Stakes (2200m) and Brisbane Cup (2400m).

Morton said he abandoned last year's winter campaign for Scenic Shot when he had niggling problems.

"He was showing some wear and tear signs and because he's had a lot of racing we left him in the paddock for a full six months purposely," Morton said.

With regular riders Shane Scriven and Steven Arnold with interstate commitments this weekend, Mark Zahra will ride Scenic Shot on Saturday.

Morton said the gelding had not trialled this preparation but had pleased him in a track gallop between races at Ascot on December 18.

"He's had a good long, slow prep, and while he's done a fair amount of work I would imagine he would be a little bit ring rusty after a long lay-off on Saturday," Morton said.

"The Australian Cup is his main aim and it will be his fourth or fifth run this campaign."

Morton said two handicap races would kick off Scenic Shot before possibly the weight-for-age runs in the Group One Orr Stakes (1400m) and Group Two St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield before the Cup.

Meanwhile Morton is excited about the return of 2009 Australian Racehorse of the Year Scenic Blast after a disappointing stint racing in America.

The six-year-old arrives backon January 22 and will be in quarantine until mid-February when he will join Scenic Shot in Melbourne.

Scenic Blast bled when he finished last in the 2009 Hong Kong Sprint.

In his last Australian campaign in 2009 he won the Group One Lighting Stakes (1000m) and Newmarket Handicap (1200m) before claiming the Group One King's Stand (1000m) at Royal Ascot.

Morton said Scenic Blast had already been spelling for a month and would be aimed at Brisbane winter carnival, including the Group One BTC Cup.

"We are going to keep the bar low, race him sparingly and try and pick up a race where we can," Morton said.