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Jockey Simon Miller is closing in on 600 career wins and after a memorable start to last month’s Albury meeting is well placed to add to his tally on Monday.
Simon Miller is booked for rides in each of the seven races with his best hopes appearing to be stablemates Hardware Lane ($2.20 favourite on TAB) and Greek Tycoon ($3.60) as well as Vallauris ($15).
The 37-year-old sits on 594 career wins with his career highlight coming in the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint in Darwin aboard Mayameen last July.
Miller achieved a first when he rode the opening three winners at Albury on May 23 and is listed to ride debutantes November Falls ($3.70) and Cash Is Queen ($4) in early races on Monday.
Both have looked the part in recent trials and look up to winning on what they have shown at the trials.
In an unusual sequence, Miller's three from the first three at Albury followed on from that of Jake Duffy who did exactly the same at Albury on April 14.
Duffy, who has ridden 482 career winners, also has some strong winning hopes headed by Flying Gem ($3.50), Little Kaz ($13) and Black Wand ($19).
Former Southern Districts Racing premiership-winning jockey Blaike McDougall will ride at the meeting with a few rides for Ben and J.D. Hayes as well as Albury trainer Donna Scott.
His best hope could be the resuming The Great Man ($2.40 fav) who was due to start at Wagga on Tuesday, but Scott has elected to save him for his home track.
Scott had her first Sydney winner on Wednesday with Gusonic after previously having metropolitan success in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, Hardware Lane's liking for soft tracks has him well placed in the Class 3 (1005m). Hardware Lane won a Highway Handicap at Hawkesbury before finishing sixth as favourite at his latest start in Sydney.
His main rival is Who But Roo ($4) which has won three of his seven starts. Hardware Lane has had his measure the past two times they have met and both are unbeaten from one start each at Albury.
"Hardware Lane loves wet tracks and my other good chance is Greek Tycoon who is always competitive," he said. "Vallauris is never far away and is in the right stable with Matthew Dale training him."
The meeting is also an important one for apprentice jockey Jett Stanley who is on loan to Albury trainer Mitch Beer. Stanley, who hails from a racing family, has moved across from Western Australia and has ridden 32 career winners.
