The lucrative Country Classic (605m) has gained a major drawcard with champion Victorian stayer Without A Trace to make a surprise return from injury in Saturday night's heats of the $100,000-to-the-winner series at Dubbo.
A three-time Group 1 winner, Without A Trace has been sidelined for a month, her last start coming when third in the G1 Zoom Top at The Meadows on February 14, beaten by another high profile Country Classic contender in Magpie Hector.
Without A Trace, a daughter of dual G1-winning stayer Houdini Boy, is already a feature race winner in NSW, taking out the G2 Sydney Cup (720m) at Wentworth Park last October.
And trainer Peter Presutto believes the middle distance Country Classic will provide the perfect platform from which to launch at the G1 Association Cup (720m) during the fast-approaching Golden Easter Egg series.
"The Association Cup was the race the headlights were on and then the Country Classic caught my eye," Presutto said.
"I spoke to Darren and Mick (Puleio, owner/breeders) and said we were going to have to give her a trial and the Country Classic gave us the opportunity for a hard hit-out, while running for fantastic money.
"I'd hope she can qualify for the final and get two runs under her belt and then the heats of the Association Cup are two weeks after the Classic final (Saturday, April 4), so it fits in really well and she's not travelling four weeks in a row."
Without A Trace is already a three-time Group 1 winner and has career earnings of over $430,000
While Without A Trace's has been racing almost exclusively over 700-plus metres since stepping up to the staying ranks last July, she showed she's just as adept at middle distances when breaking Sale's 640m track record when winning the G1 Sale Cup in January.
Without A Trace is $1.70 favourite after drawing box three in the second of three Country Classic heats, with Presutto saying he's "confident but cautious" about her prospects.
There's depth amongst her opposition, which includes hometown star Tank Keeping (box 8) and G1 placegetters Vodka And Ice (box 1) and Zig Zag Man (box 7).
"She's had three gallops up our straight and without putting a clock on her, I can see the way she's letting go," Presutto said.
"She wants to go and she's ready to go. "When I took her to Des Fegan (vet) after the Zoom Top, he told us she'd strained the ligament at the front of her wrist and needed three or four weeks off.
"I took her back to Des last week and he said she was right to start galloping again and I told him I already had!
"After I galloped her on Monday night I decided we'd have a crack at the Country Classic. She'll be my first runner at Dubbo!"
Ayden's Warrior (box 5) and Zipping Xaden (box 7) are joint $2.90 favourites in heat one, while Magpie Hector (box 4), a two-time G1 winner during the recent Australian Cup Carnival at The Meadows for Forbes trainer Jack Smith, heads betting on the third heat at $2.
