Sir Pentire will not lack fitness when he lines up in Thursday's testing Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool despite not having raced for two years.The nine-year-old underwent stem cell therapy on a bowed tendon after his last racetrack appearance when second in a 3000m flat race in May 2007.However, trainer Robbie Laing said Sir Pentire had been in and out of work for the past 18 months in preparation for his return."He was six weeks in and six weeks out at Matty Feiss's and he spent two m

Sir Pentire will not lack fitness when he lines up in Thursday's testing Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool despite not having raced for two years.

The nine-year-old underwent stem cell therapy on a bowed tendon after his last racetrack appearance when second in a 3000m flat race in May 2007.

However, trainer Robbie Laing said Sir Pentire had been in and out of work for the past 18 months in preparation for his return.

"He was six weeks in and six weeks out at Matty Feiss's and he spent two months at Matty's in October-November before he came to me and he's had 12 race trials since January," Laing said.

The Pentire gelding has had five flat trials, two 2400m hurdle trials and five 2800m steeple trials, winning two of the latter.

Last Thursday he ran a solid second to Annual rival What An Honour in a 2800m steeple trial at Warrnambool in readiness for Thursday's gruelling 5500m trip over 33 fences.

Laing is happy with Sir Pentire's preparation for the Annual which is a race he'd dearly love to win after second placings with Vowtinsk (1999), Busby Glenn (2006) and Poker Face (2007).

"We've got a few days to go and that is a long time in racing," Laing said.

"If we're not happy with him in the next few days he won't run."

Laing will have just the one Annual runner after he failed to get stablemate Destinate qualified in time for Tuesday's Brierly Steeple.

Sir Pentire, the 2003 VRC St Leger winner, was runner-up to stablemate Busby Glenn in the 2006 Grand National Hurdle at Flemington and looked like winning the Hiskens Steeple at Moonee Valley that year but fell when in front.

His last win was over champion chaser Some Are Bent in the George Watson Hurdle at Flemington when he gave the runner-up a 1-1/2 kilogram weight advantage.

Laing intends to have four runners in Thursday's 2350m Cup - Sermon, Sentire, Joontoo Gemini and Vindicating - a race he won with Mantlepiece in 1991.

The trainer, who was winless at last year's three-day May carnival, is again having a crack at the elusive trainers' bonus which carries the prize of a Mercedes Benz four-wheel drive valued at $87,790.

He had a couple of setbacks on Monday when Tuscan De Lago was balloted out of a 1700m maiden on Wednesday while Roman's Image is fourth emergency for the Wangoom Handicap (1200m).

A brother to 2006 Australian Cup winner Roman Arch, Roman's Image was runner-up to Lancet in last year's Wangoom.

Foxtown will represent the stable in the $100,000 Galleywood Hurdle while Pride Of Westbury, the emergency, could also gain a start.

Several trainers have gone close to winning the required four races, including one of the four features - Galleywood Hurdle, Wangoom Hcp, Grand Annual Steeple or Warrnambool Cup - but the bonus is yet to be won.

Laing came close two years ago when he won seven races but wasn't able to pull off a feature success, with Sentire being beaten a half-neck and a half-head when third in the Cup behind Sarrera and Douro Valley, both subsequent Group One winners, while Poker Face was runner-up to Raazauler in the Annual.

Drumbeater will be the stable's runner in Tuesday's Brierly Steeple (3450m) in which there are five Annual horses engaged - Clearview Bay, Al Garhood, Go And Get, Thisonesonme and What An Honour.