The Brian Tuddenham owned-and-trained 11-year-old has not raced since tearing a ligament in his nearside foreleg in January last year.

Having spent a season at stud, Sting Lika Bee has overcome the injury and will race in an M2-M4 pace, 2240m.

Sting Lika Bee is classed as an M20 pacer, but is eligible for the event owing to the race being open to horses which have not won a metropolitan race in the past year.

Tuddenham said he believed he had gone as far as he could with trials and would look to Friday's race to gauge if the multiple group winner was still competitive at the top level.

"If he won it'd be good _ if he put up a nice run that'd be great," Tuddenham said.

"I feel he'll measure up. I'd be happy if he ran the middle of the field."

The decision to return the son of Walton Hanover to work was initially planned as an exercise program after the horse served more than 60 mares.

Sting Lika Bee has trialed five times, winning his first run at Maryborough and his latest outings at Melton, the latest on October 5.

Tuddenham said a decision on the 2007 Hunter Cup and Ballarat Cup winner's future would be assessed following Friday night.

Champion reinsman Daryl Douglas has been booked to take the drive, but is yet to confirm for certain whether he will partner the million dollar pacer in the event. Douglas has also been booked to drive fellow nominees Wipem

Dry and Our Madagascar.

Sting Lika Bee is a winner of 37 of his 128 career starts for more than $1 million in stakes.