Trainer Peter Smith is hoping veteran sprinter Tramuntana can give him his first metropolitan winner at Caulfield on Saturday.
Smith, a plumber who combines his trade with training a small team at Euroa, was given the nine-year-old to prepare by Adelaide owner Julie Naylor.
The Singspiel gelding, formerly with South Australian trainer David Jolly, will be having his fifth start for Smith who trains him out of a paddock on his property.
Ben Melham will ride Tramuntana for the first time in the Manfred Phillipps Handicap (1100m), the second of eight heats of the 2012 All Victorian Sprint Series.
Smith is hoping Tramuntana will earn a start in the $100,000 Final (1200m) of the series at Flemington on July 7.
Tramuntana has won 10 of his 43 starts, placed on 12 other occasions and earned over $350,000 prizemoney.
“I believe he had an injury as an eight-year-old and time off,” Smith said.
“He’s a fantastic horse given the fact that he tries so hard, but the problem I’ve faced with him is because he won all those weak races in Adelaide his rating is through the roof.”
As a four-year-old Tramuntana won five straight races and at five he was third to Weekend Hussler in the 2008 Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield and fifth to Shadoways in The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville.
As a six-year-old he ran fifth to Swick in the 2008 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington and landed his best win in the 2009 Listed Oakbank Stakes (1100m).
Since Smith has had Tramuntana he has run third at Echuca, Moonee Valley and Wangaratta before running sixth of eight to Galbraith over 1000m at Caulfield at his latest appearance on April 28.
“He’s not a Listed class horse anymore, he’s probably an open handicap class horse over here,” Smith said.
“He’s a really nice horse going well at the moment and he may win a race in Victoria.
“It’s hard to win in Melbourne but if the speed is on it will suit him.”
The Mick Price-trained Stratcombe is the $3 favourite with TAB Sportsbet which has Tramuntana at $16.
