Quirindi trainer Geoff O'Brien hopes the "pretty good place" his veteran gelding Vega De Lago is in at present will translate to success in Sunday's $36,000 Gunnedah Cup (1600m) at Tamworth.
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It has been some six weeks since the seven-year-old's last win, over 900m at Scone, but O'Brien has been embolden by a last-start fourth in the Gooree Cup (1400m) at Mudgee last Saturday.
"He's pulled up pretty good after his run last week," the seasoned trainer said.
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"So we thought we'd put him in [the Gunnedah Cup] and see how he went.
"He's in a pretty good place at the minute. So hopefully that form will see him in reasonably good stead for this race."
Vega De Lago - who has seven wins from 50 starts for almost $162,000 in career prize money - will be ridden on Sunday by two-kilogram-claiming apprentice Yvette Lewis.
"Just gotta ride him very quiet," O'Brien said, "and give him every possibility from probably the 600.
"He usually runs home pretty hard. And with the weight she's [Lewis] claiming, we're hopeful that she can pull it off."
O'Brien added: "He's won over 1500m at Newcastle. Hopefully he can get the extra 100m without too much bother."
The trainer said it was a "very strong" Gunnedah Cup field.
The other runners include the Greg Hickman-trained top weight Top Striker (Keagan Latham), who has been operating in South-east Queensland, the Luke Berger-trained Irish gelding Zourkhan (Reece Jones) and the Damien Lane-trained Pirate Ben (Qin Yong).
It will be an eight-race TAB showcase meeting at Tamworth.
The other feature is the Lightning Showcase Handicap (1000m).
The field for that race includes top weight What Could Be, Kool Vinnie, Tim's Principal, Free Billy, Our Dasha, Magnolia Power and Lord Tony.
