Former New Zealander Herculian Prince has taken a couple of preparations to familiarise himself with Australia but has found form and will be given his first stakes test in the Neville Sellwood Stakes.The Listed race is the feature event at Canterbury which will host its first Easter Monday meeting under the banner of Family Fun Day.Herculian Prince has won two from two this preparation and his latest victory at Warwick Farm was good enough for top jockey Nash Rawiller to predict a bright future

Former New Zealander Herculian Prince has taken a couple of preparations to familiarise himself with Australia but has found form and will be given his first stakes test in the Neville Sellwood Stakes.

The Listed race is the feature event at Canterbury which will host its first Easter Monday meeting under the banner of Family Fun Day.

Herculian Prince has won two from two this preparation and his latest victory at Warwick Farm was good enough for top jockey Nash Rawiller to predict a bright future for the four-year-old who will be stepping up to 1900 metres for the first time.

Gai Waterhouse's stable representative Tania Rouse is confident the distance rise will suit.

"It will be no problem and he should be hard to beat with the weight (53kg)," Rouse said.

"He's a really nice horse and Gai has had a good opinion of him for a while.

"Coming over from New Zealand it's taken him a while to get used to Australia but he's going really well at the moment and improving all the time.

"When he first came over we had him in the stables for about 10 days and then tipped him out for a spell.

"He came back in and had one race with Kathy O'Hara aboard at Randwick and was unlucky not to win but worked home well. He then went out again so this is the third time we've had him in the stables, he's doing nothing but keep improving and his two wins this time in have been very strong."

The son of Yamanin Vital won first-up over 1550m at Canterbury in a Benchmark 75 before he stepped up to a mile (1600m) at Warwick Farm last start in a Benchmark 85 and won by almost two lengths.

The gelding has a very long stride so he races best when he's allowed to bowl along in front like he has done in his two wins this preparation.

Rouse believes that's one of his biggest assets.

"If you watch him he's got this big, long action so being held up probably doesn't suit him," she said.

Herculian Prince is on the limit of 53kg which is far too light for Rawiller so apprentice Daniel Ganderton will take the ride.

The Neville Sellwood has attracted a good field with the Allan Denham-trained Tobique also engaged after competing in the Group One Australian Cup last start.

Albury Cup runner-up Deltona is also set to go around, as is the consistent Spinney, and Sky High Stakes winner Bellagio Wynn and runner-up Hadaaf.

The Clarry Conners-trained former Hong Kong galloper Albertinelli, who won his first two starts for Conners before finishing a luckless second at Warwick Farm last start behind Herculian Prince is also entered.