Dan and Ben Pearce will start the previous two winners of Belmont’s Jockey Celebration Day Stakes (1400m) in that event on Saturday with a three-pronged attack on the $100,000 feature.

Triple Jay and Sensessional have landed the past two editions and the Pearce’s assault will be complemented by fellow returning galloper Outspoken Lad.

In the eyes of the betting, 2025 victor Sensessional ($5.50) is their best hope as he challenges Angel Undercover ($4.60f) for market supremacy.

However, a victory would be his first for the stable having landed this race under Grant and Alana Williams’ guidance.

“He only came to us not long before we raced him last preparation and the plan was to give him a couple of runs, thinking he’d be a lot better over the winter on softer tracks and, geez, I hope so, because he went pretty bloody good when we ran him,” Dan Pearce told SportFM.

“The feeling out of the ownership group is that he performs better on rain-affected (tracks), not that he’s going to get a huge amount of rain-affected going on Saturday,

“But moving forward through this line of races, there’s going to be a day where he bumps into a soft track and he’s going to handle that better than some.

“He’s come back and had a faultless preparation and heads there in really good order.

The six-year-old warmed up for this with a smooth trial at Belmont on July 20, finishing a long-neck second to Amaroo Star.

Meanwhile, 2024 winner Triple Jay has struggled for consistency over the past 24 months to the ire of his trainers.

“I think I’m going to die two years sooner because of this horse. He’s kept us awake at night a fair bit,” Pearce said.

“He’s a serious horse if you can get him right but he’s caused us all sorts of headaches on the way through.

“Mainly feet issues but he came back and then he had a virus. He’s a big boy – 600 plus kilos – and he hits the ground really hard.

“Coming through wintertime with a bit of give (in the ground) is going to help him.”

The seven-year-old has only battled since a winter purple patch two seasons ago but scored a half-length victory in a Lark Hill trial on July 13.

“It’s been two years since he had that run where he went good but hopefully, we’ve got him back,” Pearce said.

“He’s strung two trials together and pulled up good from each of them.

“If he’s at his best, this is certainly a grade he should be able to work through.”

Outspoken Lad ($23), better known for his deeds over longer journeys, will be eyeing a Goldfields campaign in coming weeks.

“Whether 1400m first-up is going to be his go, there might be a couple too sharp for him there,” Pearce said.