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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Mitchell Beer has finished his re-education of former Kiwi filly Sunrise and he’ll head to Nowra on Sunday with a high level of expectation.

Trainer Mitchell Beer

The three-year-old was a noted speedster in New Zealand and in her two runs since being purchased for around $40,000 Beer has made a point of teaching her to conserve her energy in her races.

Sunrise has been ridden conservatively in both her runs for Beer at Hawkesbury and been on the wrong end of the luck scale but he said she’s now seasoned enough to be positive again in the Bob Wilson Supporting Bravehearts Handicap (1200m).

“We’ve had to teach her to settle a bit, she would lead in New Zealand and just run flat out,’’ Beer said.

“That doesn’t get you too far, you might win a race but you find your benchmark pretty quick.

“I thought she was really good the other day at Hawkesbury and she’s ready to win. She got held up, we went back to the inside and the winner got going on us but she was good the last bit.

“Now she’s had a couple of runs and learned not to just jump and go flat out you can give her a little squeeze and be closer.

“I think we’ll be a lot more positive, Nowra is typically not a place you want to be getting too far back.”

Sunrise had six starts in New Zealand and contested the Karaka Million in January and a Group 2 in February so Beer has hopes she can reach higher in his care than a Nowra Class 1.

It’s an important race for her on that front to show Beer what she can do when she’s afforded every chance in the run.

“I think getting back to country level looks ideal and she’s ready to recapture her best form,'' he said.

“We’re pretty keen to get her to 1400m and probably not over spring I think those Friday nights at Canterbury could be her go.

“Her best form in New Zealand has her at that level and once everything sinks in with what we’re trying to do she has the ability to do that.”

Beer has two runners in the H Parsons Funeral Directors Handicap (1100m) and he’s expecting Zhivago to bounce back from a first-up flop while he’s interested to see what apprentice Glenn Cahill can do on the consistent River Frost.

He said he can forgive Zhivago given he melted before his first-up assignment three weeks ago.

“He was terribly disappointing first-up but he sweated up terribly and was just a mess, he was a beaten horse when he went to the barriers,’’ he said.

“Hopefully he can improve because he was impressive winning his maiden at Nowra.”

Sunrise runs third at Hawkesbury on September 12

Cahill rode his first winner at Goulburn last week since making the move down south and Beer said his 3kg claim will come in handy on River Frost who comes back in grade.

“He’s been getting back and finding trouble so hopefully we can be a little more positive,’’ he said.

“I haven’t seen much of the young kid but he rode a lovely winner the other day and he sat on really well and looks a nice, young, polished rider.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Nowra meeting