Shepherd said world rankings would be on the line and he expected his team to maintain the top spot it’s held since 2003.

"We are ranked number one and as such I have very high expectations," Shepherd said.

"The next international tournament we play in will be seeded according to these results and I expect us to be on top."

Speaking on the tournament’s eve, Shepherd nominated his team captain Suzette Thomas to lead the way in the women’s section while he expects Wil Weston to stand up for the men.

The Australian team has been training on their allocated horses since Saturday but the coach has yet to decide who will line up on which horse.

It is expected the players will be told of their mounts at a crucial team meeting tonight.

"We’ve been trying difference horses with different riders to see who can handle which horse the best," the coach said.

The polocrosse field is divided into thirds, with one player from each team assigned to each third.

Shepherd said it was important to have a nimble and quick horse in the attacking zone, a strong and fit horse in the defensive third and good ball carrying horse in the middle zone.

Importantly, Australia’s pool of horses (pool D) has adapted well to their temporary homes at Bong Bong Picnic Race Course.

"All in all we have been pretty happy with the horses we have been given and are still working through a few combinations," he said.

"Our group of horses is going well and haven’t had any major problems."

Tournament organiser Fiona Nixon said Highlands vet Bill Beresford had been called out to inspect a number of horses that had taken some time to adjust to their feed.