A good performance by American sprinter Cannonball in Saturday's Lightning Stakes at Flemington could lead to more US-trained thoroughbreds racing in Australia, says the sprinter's handler Declan Murphy.Cannonball, who will become the first US-trained horse to race in Australia, is prepared by Wesley Ward for Ken and Sarah Ramsey who don't mind travelling their horses and won the 2005 Dubai World Cup with Roses In May.Ken Ramsey has been one of the top 10 owners in the US for the past few years.

A good performance by American sprinter Cannonball in Saturday's Lightning Stakes at Flemington could lead to more US-trained thoroughbreds racing in Australia, says the sprinter's handler Declan Murphy.

Cannonball, who will become the first US-trained horse to race in Australia, is prepared by Wesley Ward for Ken and Sarah Ramsey who don't mind travelling their horses and won the 2005 Dubai World Cup with Roses In May.

Ken Ramsey has been one of the top 10 owners in the US for the past few years.

One of his horses, Kitten's Joy, was topweight in original handicaps for the 2005 Melbourne Cup but went amiss and didn't make the trip.

Travelling foreman Murphy, looking after Cannonball on his trip to Australia for the opener to the 2010 Global Sprint Challenge, said connections were very much looking forward to Saturday's weight-for-age feature.

"Mr Ramsey is very excited about this. Unfortunately he's not able to make it with commitments in the US, but certainly it would be good if Cannonball performs well regardless of what happens," he said.

"Just the fact that Cannonball has arrived here and settled in well....I think that people knowing that will have confidence that a horse can ship all this way, arrive here and hopefully perform well."

Murphy said the experience of having two straight course runs at Royal Ascot last June should stand the five-year-old in good stead for the 1000m race.

The gelding, a winner of four races from 1106 to 1609 metres and placed in another eight of his 20 starts, has raced over 1000 metres four times for a second placing at Group Three level at Keeneland.

He finished sixth to last year's Lightning winner Scenic Blast in the 2009 King's Stand Stakes (1006m) at Royal Ascot.

"I must say in his first race up the straight in the King's Stand, he did look around a fair bit and he missed the kick and didn't participate in the race," Murphy said.

"Having had that experience, he raced in the Golden Jubilee and was narrowly beaten finishing second.

"Obviously a 1000 metre straight race is a unique race. We'd have loved him to have had a race over 1000 metres here before but he had a gallop here (down the straight course at Flemington) the other day.

"He had a look around and hopefully he's better for it."

Murphy said Cannonball had travelled very well to Australia from Hong Kong where he ran 10th to Sacred Kingdom in the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on December 13.

"He's more relaxed here and the surroundings are very good for him and we're very pleased with him," he said.

"Hong Kong is a very busy place. We thought he was doing well there but he seems more relaxed here and good in himself."

American Patrick Valenzuela will ride Cannonball after Racing Victoria stewards granted him a licence following a lengthy deliberation.

Valenzuela has ridden 4000 winners around the globe but his career has been interrupted by several suspensions for drug offences.

Cannonball is a $26 chance on TAB Sportsbet with Starspangledbanner the $4.20 favourite on Thursday, edging out Queensland flyer Burdekin Blues ($4.20).