Russell Bell ventured to Melbourne from his training base in Alice Spring with a three-part plan for his talented galloper Sirbible.
The first part came to fruition when the horse won at Moonee Valley on December 4.
The second looms at Flemington on Saturday.
A former Victorian, Bell will run Sirbible in the Fiesta Star Handicap over 1200m.
If the horse performs to expectations, Bell will initiate the final instalment of his plan and run Sirbible in the Group Three Standish Handicap on New Year’s day over Saturday’s course and distance.
“I knew he would handle the Valley from my previous experiences,” Bell said.
“And I don’t think he’s got any dramas with the straight at Flemington because he does a lot of straight work at home on the river.
“We targeted three races with him, we’ve got one so far, so we’re laughing.”
Bell trained at Seymour for local clients for many years and enjoyed some success for Barry and Midge Griffiths, the owners of 1992 Caulfield Cup winner Mannerism, before deciding to take a team of horses to Alice Spring for their local racing carnival more than five years ago.
He fell in love with the place and stayed, notching 41 winners at the course with a strikerate of more than 12 per cent.
Basing himself at Kyneton since his arrival in Victoria, Bell has also brought two younger horses along for the trip to keep Sirbible company and help them mature.
He said those horses were about to head home while reporting the well-named Sirbible, a son of God’s Own, had improved from his Valley win under lights.
Bell said barrier five was a bonus for the gelding.
“He’s a horse that likes to get out and get running,” he said.
“I would have been happy to draw anywhere between one and seven, that way he can find the rail to give him a bit of a guide down the straight.”
Jye McNeil, who partnered Sirbible to victory at Moonee Valley, has the mount on Saturday with his 1.5kg claim bringing the gelding into the race with 57.5kg.
