GUARANTEED faces a scenario not unlike his stablemate Restrepo did in the Miracle Mile a year ago.
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Restrepo drew the extreme outside in the group 1 dash in Sydney in 2013.
Gavin Lang pushed forward from the gate to put Restrepo in the race, before finishing sixth to Beautide in 1:50.2.
Ballarat trainer Emma Stewart again had little luck in Sunday's barrier draw with Guaranteed.
He drew barrier seven, but will start from six if the emergencies fail to get a run at Menangle on Saturday night.
With a wealth of speed on his inside, including favourite Beautide, Lang is again going to have rely on some luck with Guaranteed.
Guaranteed earned an invitation to the $750,000 Miracle Mile after a close second to Beautide in the Coca Cola Sprint on November 15.
Stewart gave Guaranteed his last major hit-out before the big assignment in a trial in Ballarat on Saturday.
He coasted around in a leisurely mile rate of 2:0.7 for 2200m, running his last 800m in 27 seconds.
Guaranteed is part of a Stewart stable A-team making the trek to Menangle.
She also has Ballarat Pacing Cup winner Restrepo (group 2 $50,000 Kevin Newman Cup, 2300m), Philadelphia Man (listed $25,000 Carnival of Miracles Stakes, 1609m), Yankee Rockstar (group 2 $50,000 Mount Eden 4yo Championship, 2300m) and last-start Menangle winner Beauty Secret (group 2 $50,000 Robin Dundee Stakes, 1609m) engaged.
Restrepo is first-up since August and on his way to a Ballarat Pacing Cup defence on Saturday, December 13.
Philadelphia Man is returning after a relatively minor setback, which forced initial plans to target the Miracle Mile to be changed.
The six-year-old won his first start back after more than two years off the scene, but has not raced since.
Yankee Rockstar is looking to extend his winning run to four this preparation, while Beauty Secret will receive an automatic invitation to the Ladyship Mile if she wins.
BALLARAT trainer-driver Michael Stanley is also returning to Menangle on Saturday.
Blucolla Tigerpie will again clash with Beauty Secret as she did her last-start third, while he will have Big Spending Telf in the group 2 $50,000 Chokin 3yo Championship, 1609.
Big Spending Telf won his last start which was also in Sydney.
BALLARAT and District Trotting Club marks the 160th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade on Friday night.
The Eureka 160 Cup will be the feature race on a program which launches the final countdown to the $100,000 Petstock Ballarat Pacing Cup to be run on Saturday, December 13.
The club first acknowledged the Eureka Stockade with a special racing 2003.
Charlie Machsheen heads early nominations.
A group 1 winner as a two-year-old, the six-year-old has not raced since April and since then has transferred from Geoff Webster's stable to Craig Demmler at Parwan near Bacchus Marsh.
He trialled in Ballarat on Saturday, running second within a head of Guaranteed.
Charlie Machsheen has not won since June last year, when he saluted in a Vicbred Super Series semi-finals, but anywhere hear his best would have him right in the finish at Bray Raceway.
The BDTC race meeting will also feature the Christmas Charity Carnival - a fund-raiser for the 3BA Christmas Appeal.
The Ballarat Pacing Cup build-up will also feature a barrier draw breakfast at Bray Raceway on Tuesday, December 2.