Star New Zealand jumper Sea King tackles the A$100,000 Crisp Steeplechase (3900m) at Warrnambool tomorrow.
Now in the care of Victorian trainer Patrick Payne, Sea King will meet a stellar field which includes three-time Crisp hero Bashboy and Grand Annual winner Regina Coeli.
Prepared in New Zealand by Kevin Myers,Sea King transferred to Payne's care before his last-start victory in the Mosstrooper Steeplechase.
"He's a remarkable horse," Payne said. "He's a big raw-boned skinny Kiwi with a rubber neck. He's a really tricky horse to ride, but he's got a really good engine.
"He comes over to Australia and thrives over here. He's really healthy and doing well in the coat and he's going into this race in excellent order."
Payne has called upon the services of Kiwi rider Mathew Gillies, the man who has partnered Sea King in his two most recent New Zealand starts.
"We're setting Matt Gillies a bit of a task," Payne said. "He's never ridden around the Warrnambool Cross Country Course before but he is familiar with him and it's safer to do it that way."
Bel Sorriso hasn't been daunted by older opposition this preparation and she will again give away age at Trentham today.
The Keeper filly has already performed admirably under such conditions and trainer Grant Searle is expecting another bold showing from his youthful charge in the Dixon & Dunlop Parliamentary Handicap.
Searle couldn't recall winning a top grade event with a three-year-old before and he said Bel Sorriso's presence was both a sign of the times and a lack of other suitable races. "With all due respect, open races these days aren't as strong as they used to be.
"She's going well and I'm very pleased with her. She's almost four now and while she's still got to give age away there really isn't much else around for her," he said.
A dual winner last season, Bel Sorriso added the St Leger Trial to her record in February and she was then a creditable sixth in the NZ Oaks.
Following a successful resumption at Otaki, she finished fifth behind Julinsky Prince in the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes and last time out at Awapuni she was runner-up to Kipkeino, a race rival again.
"She went a good race and she just found the other horse too strong over the final bit," Searle said.
Bel Sorriso, who will meet Kipkeino three and a half kilos better off in the weights this time, will be ridden by Johnathon Parkes.
