In Craig Newitt's absence, Dale Smith has been doing the hard yards on star sprinter Lankan Rupee and is convinced he is ready to win the Lightning Stakes.

Singapore-based Newitt will fly back to Melbourne to continue his association with the world's equal top-ranked sprinter in Saturday's 1000m feature at Flemington.

Smith, who has had a long association with the Mick Price stable, has been aboard Lankan Rupee in all his recent work-outs, including an impressive raceday gallop on Saturday at Caulfield.

"I thought Mick might have run out of a little bit of time with him but Mick being the Group One trainer that he is, he knows his horses and he is cherry ripe," Smith said.

"He's going really well and whatever beats him wins."

Australia's reigning Horse of the Year clocked 34.07secs for his final 600m of the gallop, his last 200m in 10.87sec.

Smith said Lankan Rupee had a good look around in the early part of the work-out but switched on once he straightened.

"As soon as he got into the straight and spotted the crowd and the tents he laid his ears back and away he went," Smith said.

"He ran up the last 400 metres in about 21 and three-quarter seconds on his ear and just absolutely steamed to the line."

Lankan Rupee, who took last year's autumn carnival by storm with three Group One wins, finished 2014 alongside Terravista in the international ratings.

Terravista will not be among his Lightning Stakes opposition but his rivals will include the unbeaten emerging star Deep Field and Group One-winning three-year-old Brazen Beau.

Dwayne Dunn will appeal the severity of a careless riding suspension hoping he can get at least one day shaved off to keep the ride on Deep Field.

Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said the stable would wait for the result of the appeal before looking at other riders.

"He's the stable rider. We'll stick solid with him and we'll back him all the way and think that he's going to hopefully get off. We'll let the powers that be decide and we'll go from there," Hawkes told Melbourne's RSN.

"There will be plenty of blokes wanting to ride Deep Field."