Former European stayer Basaltico is adapting well to the Australian lifestyle and will make his first Sydney appearance in Saturday's Ajax Stakes.A six-time winner in the northern hemisphere, Basaltico was brought to Australia by trainer Luca Cumani for last year's Melbourne Cup.After a luckless seventh in the Geelong Cup he finished 18th in the Melbourne Cup and the decision was made by his new owners to keep him in Australia.After a stint at Lee Freedman's property in Victoria, Basaltico was s

Former European stayer Basaltico is adapting well to the Australian lifestyle and will make his first Sydney appearance in Saturday's Ajax Stakes.

A six-time winner in the northern hemisphere, Basaltico was brought to Australia by trainer Luca Cumani for last year's Melbourne Cup.

After a luckless seventh in the Geelong Cup he finished 18th in the Melbourne Cup and the decision was made by his new owners to keep him in Australia.

After a stint at Lee Freedman's property in Victoria, Basaltico was sent to Guy Walter in Sydney and had his first start for the stable when an eye-catching seventh in the National Sprint (1400m) at Canberra on March 7 when he came from last on the turn.

"He ran extremely well at Canberra," Walter said.

"The 1500 metres on Saturday will be a bit short again but I expect to see him running on as he did last time."

Basaltico is entered for the Sydney Cup on April 24 but Walter is cautious about hurrying him to the gruelling 3200m race.

"The Sydney Cup might come a bit soon for him and the Brisbane Cup might be a more suitable target," Walter said.

The Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) is at Eagle Farm on June 5 after which the Melbourne Cup will again be the aim.

The six-year-old is owned by a syndicate headed by OTI's Terry Henderson and Simon O'Donnell.

Rod Quinn will ride Basaltico while Kathy O'Hara will be aboard Walter's other Ajax runner Twin Wing.

Walter also has Cup plans for Twin Wing but his sights are a little lower than the major metropolitan events.

"I think the Wagga Cup would be a nice race for him," Walter said.

The $130,000 Listed Wagga Cup (2000m) is on May 7.

Twin Wing has been off the winners' list since the Lord Mayor's Cup in May 2008 but has racked up placings in several stakes races including a close third in the Grafton Cup last July when overhauled in the final strides to be beaten a nose and a half-head by Castle Heights and Hume.

At his first run since, Twin Wing was outsprinted when unplaced in the Liverpool City Cup (1300m) on March 6.