Improving stayer Tullamore is raring to go for his first Australian stakes test on Saturday and jockey Tommy Berry is convinced the gelding is up to the challenge.The latest staying find out of New Zealand for the Gai Waterhouse stable, Tullamore has won his past two starts in fighting fashion and Berry reunites with the four-year-old in Saturday's Listed W J McKell Cup (2400m) at Rosehill.Berry rode Tullamore to a two length win over 2250 metres at Hawkesbury on April 30 before Nash Rawiller pa

Improving stayer Tullamore is raring to go for his first Australian stakes test on Saturday and jockey Tommy Berry is convinced the gelding is up to the challenge.

The latest staying find out of New Zealand for the Gai Waterhouse stable, Tullamore has won his past two starts in fighting fashion and Berry reunites with the four-year-old in Saturday's Listed W J McKell Cup (2400m) at Rosehill.

Berry rode Tullamore to a two length win over 2250 metres at Hawkesbury on April 30 before Nash Rawiller partnered him in an all-the-way win over 2200 metres carrying 60kg at Scone last weekend.

The son of Savabeel has firmed from $6 to $5 outright favourite for the McKell Cup.

"He's a typical New Zealand and Gai Waterhouse horse," Berry said.

"A real warhorse.

"The best thing about him is the tougher he gets it, the better he goes.

"He had a tough run at Hawkesbury and won and had a tough time at Scone and was too strong again."

Tullamore was attacked from the 800m mark at Scone last Saturday and despite looking like he was in trouble, the gelding responded to Rawiller's urgings to win by almost half a length.

"When they came up around him at Scone it looked like he couldn't care less," Berry said.

"Even though it looked like he was going to fade away he just kept going and fought them off.

"He's going from 60 kilograms down to 53 kilograms, it's a tougher race and a couple of Chris Waller's horses are going well, but going up to 2400 metres suits him and he'll run well."

Waterhouse is planning to take Tullamore to Queensland after his McKell Cup run, with the Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) his winter carnival mission.

The trainer believes he can develop into a Melbourne Cup prospect later this year.

Stable representative Bruce Slade said the McKell Cup favourite had thrived since his back-to-back wins.

"He's come through his last run brilliantly and we just let him stretch his legs in trackwork on Thursday," Slade said.

"He doesn't shirk his task, he drops considerably in weight and he'll give it a real shake tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Sydney's leading apprentice Josh Adams is hoping to notch his first stakes success for Gerald Ryan since joining the Rosehill trainer's stable when he partners Ironstein in the McKell Cup.

Ironstein was third in the Listed Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) last start and Adams expects the step up to 2400 metres to suit the five-year-old son of Zabeel.

"I have had a great start since joining Gerald's stable last month and it would be nice to get a stakes winner on the board for the new team," Adams said.

"This horse has promised a lot and maybe been a bit disappointing at times but hopefully we see the best of him on Saturday and if we do he'll be very hard to beat."