The Gavin Groth-trained gelding has won the past two John “Mouse” Sinclair Benchmark 55 Handicaps (1600m) and jumps from barrier two as the six-year-old gelding seeks a unique trio of race victories in a race named after the Quirindi Jockey Club’s legendary and long- serving secretary.

Sinclair was the Quirindi secretary for 28 years, from 1974 to 2002.

He was made a life member but then passed away in 2012.

Sinclair’s many friends always marvelled at his “tricks” so a hat-trick might be just the fitting result for Groth, who never knew the former Quirindi secretary but has heard a lot about him since winning the only two “Mouse” races.

“It would be great to win a third,”  Groth said.

“We’ve purposely set him for this too although we’ve had to rush a bit because of all the wet weather.

“That’s why we took him all the way to Parkes the other day, to give him a run. 

“And he ran a cracker of a race in that Cup too.”

Groth said he goes into the Mouse race second up.

“We did the same thing with him two or three preps ago and that’s when he won his first Mouse race.

“It’s not the ideal thing but at least he has done it before.

“And it would be nice if it rained a little. 

“He does like a wet track.

“It brings them all back to his standard and he does love getting through the wet ground.”

Stable apprentice Sue Bigg rode Ima Secret when he won his first John Sinclair Memorial.

She dived home along the rail to win that day.

“I thought I was going to quinella it too with The Early Bird,” Groth added.

However he was edged out of second and had to settle for first and third.

Last year Luke Dittman rode the son of Secret Savings and, while he also came from well back, he finished down the outside of the track.

“He loves Quirindi,”  Groth said.

“It’s funny but he goes well at Cessnock and Armidale too. 

“Cessnock is also downhill and Armidale is undulating.”

Groth also has a “mile maidener” in today.

“I’d love to be able to swap their barriers,” he said.

“Ima Secret will get back from that barrier (2) but might just get in someone’s road early.”

However the Gunnedah trainer is confident his six-year-old gelding, winner of the only two John Sinclair Memorials to have been run, can finish on from back in the field.

If he does, then a third Mouse hat trick would make it a special day for the Groth stable.