Japanese trainer Yoshinori Muto hopes his stayer Prestwick can emulate the feats of recent international raiders and salute in next month's $2 million Sydney Cup.

Muto celebrated his birthday on Wednesday in drizzling rain at Canterbury watching Prestwick do some light work.

"If we can win this race it's going to be life changing," he told reporters through an interpreter.

The former jockey was all smiles despite the downpour and said he was hoping for a heavy track for the 3200m Group One race at Randwick on April 14.

"He loves the heavy track and the clockwise running, so it's very suitable for him," Muto said.

He was confident the success of Japanese stayers in Australia was a good form guide for how his seven-year-old horse would run.

"Usually Japanese tracks are very firm and very fast, but it should be heavier here so it should be very suitable," he said.

Sydney's premier staying event is one of only two Group One races over 3200m in Australia alongside the Melbourne Cup.

The last Australian-bred horse to win the race was Niwot in 2012.

Muto said Prestwick has travelled well and he was happy with his lead-up form, including a fifth to Fame Game who ran 13th in the 2015 Melbourne Cup won by Prince Of Penzance.

"Towards the end of next week we will start the serious work," he said.