Swan Hill trainer Nathan Hobson is preparing for a shot at capturing The Hotham, billed as Australia's richest race for battlers, for the second year in a row in Ballarat on Friday.
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Hobson has three nominations for the $75,000 event, including last year's runner-up All The Wine.
The six-year-old has not raced since December and has only the two starts for Hobson's stable.
All The Wine was trained by Brian Gentle in Bendigo when he finished second to Hobson's Henry's Affair in The Hotham, 1200m, last year.
Hobson also has Night Whisper and Highway to Success entered.
Ballarat Turf Club has been swamped by 123 nominations.
Night Whisper is a new acquisition for Hobson, having been previously prepared by Shane and Adam Barling in Queensland
The 6yo has been doing all his racing on the Sunshine Coast, and has a record of five seconds and four thirds in 31 starts.
He was eighth in his latest outing on September 15.
Highway To Success began his racing career with David and Ben Hayes, and Tom Dabernig and has been with Hobson since June, having two thirds and last-start fourth at Swan Hill since.
Veteran mare Costano Mille tops the ballot order.
Trained by Bryce Stanaway at Torquay, the eight-year-old remains a maiden after 90 career starts, which have produced eight seconds and four thirds. She was third at Geelong three starts ago.
Nominations also feature Beau Dazzle, which has finished eighth in the race in each of the past two years.
The Hotham was first run two years ago, with Tasmanian mare Woohoo saluting for treainer Trent Wells.
Neither Woohoo or Henry's Affair have won since their successes in The Hotham.
The field will be declared on Wednesday, with the meeting being run on turf as the countdown to the Sportsbet Ballarat Cup on Saturday, November 23, continues.
The rail will be out 7m from the 600m mark to the winning post, and 5m from the winning post to the 1600m.