English trainer Brian Ellison arrived in Australia a year ago with high hopes of winning the Melbourne Cup with his horse Saptapadi.

But the uncertainties of racing are what they are, and Saptapadi isn't even a good thing to win Sunday's Sheep Hills Cup in western Victoria.

Saptapadi actually made the Melbourne Cup field, finishing a distant 16th to Dunaden and Ellison, presumably unwilling to pay the fare home, left the horse with local trainer Jim Conlan in the hope of winning any race, anywhere.

But even that modest ambition wouldn't have taken into account Sunday's race at Warracknabeal for which Saptapadi has been honoured with the topweight.

Despite Saptapadi's poor showings in two runs this time in, the presence of a Melbourne Cup runner at one of his club's feature meetings has delighted Warracknabeal Racing Club president Lance Huebner.

"It's great for us to have a horse in the Sheep Hills Cup that has run in the biggest race of all," Huebner said.

"He's a little bit out of form at the moment, but he will create a bit of interest in the race and hopefully it can be the race that turns his spring around."