IMPROVING handicapper Amazing Journey has been bought to race for Ciaron Maher in Australia, with the country’s second richest race, the Golden Eagle, as his first target.

The three-year-old gelding won the £150,000 Moet and Chandon International at Ascot last month in impressive style for Lambourn trainer Jamie Osborne but has been sold privately by owners Gallagher Bloodstock.

Osborne confirmed the horse had left for Harry Charlton’s yard to enter quarantine prior to travelling to Australia with the latter’s Melbourne Cup hope, Wine Dark Sea.

Amazing Journey will be aimed at the AUS$10 million (£5.2m) race at Randwick in Sydney on October 31, a race that carries a first prize of over £2.5m.

Osborne told the Press Association: “Will Bourne completed the deal acting for Ciaron Maher and the new connections have the idea of taking him Down Under to aim at the race that Lake Forest won for William Haggas two years ago.

“It is a four-year-olds only seven-furlong race and while Amazing Journey would have a little bit to go to match Lake Forest he is improving fast.”

Osborne was philosophical about the horse’s departure, insisting there were no mixed emotions from his team.

“That is part of the job and it gives us immense satisfaction to be able to buy a thirty grand yearling and sell it on for a significant sum,” he said. “When this happens it is very much a success, so I’m pleased for Pat Gallagher who now gets a period of ‘free’ racing.”

Amazing Journey will become a four-year-old on touching down, with the Melbourne Spring Carnival at Randwick in Sydney kicking off their season.