Anthony Varga won the Pub Group Gold Nugget for Anthony Mabbott back in 2011 and the Tamworth reinsman will be out to win it with his own pacer in 2022.
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The trainer-driver takes Somebeachsomegift into this year's $10,000 race after winning behind Any Cause back in 2011.
The Tuesday night meeting kicks off the Tamworth Harness Racing Club January racing carnival with the feature race offering up a gold nugget to the value of $2000 as the trophy at the Tamworth Paceway.
Varga races Somebeachsomegift along with his partner Denna Burns, his mother Noelene and first-time owners, and nephews, Mitchell Simmonds and Rhys Davis.
And Varga is as hungry as ever to take home the Gold Nugget which will be a slightly different race to the one he won in 2011.
"The race was over the longer distance of 2360 metres when Any Cause won and this year, we will be running over 1980 metres," he said.
"This is my chance to get my hands on that gold nugget as an owner and trainer myself."
Varga has taken the bold move with nominating Somebeachsomegift out of class.
"It will be a good tester to see if he is up for the Golden Guitar heats on the Sunday," Varga said of Somebeachsomegift who has had just nine race starts for two wins.
Somebeachsomegift comes in off a last start win at Tamworth in the Hygain Tracktorque Pace on January 6.
Somebeachsomegift found the one by one from barrier eight in that race while Armidale pacer Neville Shannon (Jeff Enks) led the field.
"I had to go a little earlier than I wanted in the race taking off at the 600 mark but my horse has a good turn of foot," Varga said.
Somebeachsomegift went on for a 6.4-metre win over a fast-finishing Overthemoon (Tom Ison) and Beachboy Butch (Blake Hughes) a neck away third.
Mile rate for the 1980 metres was 1.58.7.
"That was a pretty good mile rate for 1980 metres," said Varga.
"He is out of class but he has drawn the three in the nugget race - I would have preferred the one or two barrier but we will have to wait and see what the Queensland horses do.
"I think my horse is racing at his best at the moment but feel there is a bit more to come and racing weekly will show some improvement as well.
"The local horses look like they have a good chance - it is a nice race to start the carnival off with."
Varga is also showing he is keen to win the race sponsored by his favourite social meeting place.
"The Pub is my watering hole so if I did win the nugget, it would take pride and place for sure," he said.
"It is a race that is hard to judge on paper but everyone is out to win it."
Other local runners are the Neil Kliendienst-trained Rolamax (Brad Elder), the Dean Chapple-trained and driven Asterism, the Andy Ison-trained and Tom Ison-driven I'm Compliant who will all join Somebeachsomegift off the front line.
Meanwhile, Queensland trainer Graham Dwyer has four runners engaged in the $10,000 feature and will take the reins behind Valencia from the one barrier.
