Few southern trainers have supported the South Of The Waitaki winter series over the past two years as well as Brendon McLellan.
So it seems appropriate the Wyndham trainer should go into tonight's final at Addington with three chances of taking away a share of the $13,000 in stakes.
McLellan has supported the concept since its first winter appearance last season, and said the chance to take on horses of a similar ability fitted in well.
"It suited our team with not too much happening down here at winter time,'' he said.
"You don't mind going up there if you're racing against the horses you'd be racing down here. It's all worked out the last couple of years and we'll support it and keep going.''
Luciano is the pick of McLellan's three starters in the South Of The Waitaki final after winning three straight, including the past two South Of The Waitaki heats.
The rising 5yr-old and the rest of McLellan's Canterbury team have been based with Regan Todd at Woodend Beach, and the beach training has certainly worked with Luciano.
"He's improved and he's been racing pretty good since we got up there,'' McLellan said.
"It's probably just taken him a bit of time to develop, but he's started to come to it.''
Luciano will start from barrier 7 due to his winning stakes, but McLellan is not concerned by the marble driver Ricky May has to contend with.
"The 2600m will probably suit him all right.
"He's probably a bit more of a stayer, really. If they go hard enough, he will have a few options. It depends how the race pans out, but he's pretty versatile.''
McLellan will drive Vera's Delight, who starts immediately outside Luciano, but McLellan will be looking for the back of an improving runner to put her into the race.
"With the right trip, she'd be a pretty good chance,'' he said.
"She just needs a bit of luck in the running. She can't make her own luck, whereas the other guys can. But there's not too much between them, really.''
Mr Handleman has drawn the best of McLellan's three runners, starting from barrier 1, although McLellan is unsure how close to the lead he will be.
"He's probably not real quick out of the gates - he'll probably hold his own - but something will probably get across him,'' she said.
"The only thing with him is that he's one of those horses that doesn't always put two races together. He went good last week, but he's a wee bit in or out.''
McLellan has Pass The Speights starting from barrier 3 in a competitive field in race 1 - "with that handy draw, he should get out of the gate OK'' - while he will again steer Happy Lou for Glenham trainer Malcolm Hunter in race 6 after upsetting his rivals on July 15.
"He's been racing good all season, too. He got a nice run last week and everything panned out for him. He's a pretty genuine horse.''
