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Trainer Lindsay Hatch will lay down an early marker for the Toowoomba Cup when Talk Time heads to Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Hatch has never won the Toowoomba Cup in his hometown but is confident Talk Time can prove he is up to the challenge if successful in the Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1800 metres.
Hatch has only made two attempts to claim his maiden Toowoomba Cup with Transporter and imported stayer Sayl.
Transporter finished 11th to the Desleigh Forster-trained Cylinder Beach in 2017 while last year's Cairns Amateur Cup winner Sayl finished eighth to the Chris Munce-trained Military Gambler.
"He's very promising and if he can win then I'll give him a break and aim for the Toowoomba Cup with him," Hatch said.
The Toowoomba Cup will be run over 2000 metres at Clifford Park in September.
Talk Time is part-owned by Hatch's wife Tracey and has only had nine starts for four wins and three placings.
A son of Spill The Beans, Talk Time is coming off a last-start second the Steven O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted-trained Ocean Zar in a 1400 metre Benchmark race at Eagle Farm on April 20.
On that occasion, Talk Time came from well back turning for home and went under by less than one length.
"His last run was enormous when he had to come from so far back and make a long sustained run," Hatch said.
"He'll be hard to beat in this race from his good barrier.
"Andrew Mallyon got off him that day and told me he'd run 2000 metres."
Talk Time accompanied several stable mates for a North Queensland winter campaign last year but Hatch only used the trip away to help mature the four-year-old.
He only had one run in Townsville winning a 1200 metre maiden before he was on the float home.
"It's something I learned a long time ago when I used to work for Peter Snowden," Hatch said.
"He used to send horses from Sydney to Melbourne just for the travelling as they come back better horses."
Talk Time will again be ridden by Mallyon who also rode him when he was successful in a 1350 metre Benchmark race at Ipswich two runs back.
