Sydney trainer Allan Ellul with hopes of double at Newcastle

Ellul's son, Grant, will take four of his team to Newcastle for the club's first meeting of the year and the Llandilo trainer expects New Zealand import Ultimate Bird to lead the way in the fifth.

The five-year-old gelding started his career in Australia with back-to-back wins at Menangle, including a time of 1:51:1 on debut, then was sixth there in a Christmas Gift heat. He was then a last-start winner at Penrith on December 14 and looks a leading chance from gate three at Newcastle with Chris Geary to drive.

"He's been going really well since we've brought him from New Zealand," Ellul said.

"We like his chances. He's a high-speed horse and just bowls around. He's pretty handy and we've got plans for him."

My Stella Rose won a three-year-old fillies regional Breeders Challenge heat at Newcastle in her most recent visit and has since finished fourth in the Menangle final and second at Penrith. She has gate four in the third on Friday, where she gets in well with the claim of driver Ashleigh Delosa in the 52 ratings event. Ellul hoped My Stella Rose could bounce back to her best.

"Newcastle seems to be her favourite track," he said. "She's won two of her three at Newcastle and they were in the Breeders Challenge. She's a real consistent mare and is always in the placings.

"She's been working well at home and we expect her to go pretty well. She just threw it in at the last 50m at Penrith. She probably should have won that night but she's back in grade and we claim the concession driver on her."

Ellul also has Bartello (race four) and Sheza Rebel (eight) at the meeting.

"He's had his issues," he said of Bartello.

"We sent him to Queensland to get his bonus but things didn't work out. He's a high-strung horse. If he behaves himself he's capable of being a very nice horse but he's a little head strong.

"Sheza Rebel, she's Bartello's half-sister.

"The penny hasn't dropped with her. She's quite green and not quite sure what she's doing out there. She's capable and can run some time but we just hope she runs an honest race."