Miners Rest trainer Archie Alexander isn't oozing with confidence ahead of Kiwia's crack at an historic third-straight Ballarat Cup, but is quick to point out he wasn't overly excited by the horse's chances of success in the race last year.
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Kiwia turned around some modest lead-up form to win the $500,000 event for Alexander last November, backing up his win in 2018 for former trainer Darren Weir.
Locally-based Irish jockey John Allen rode in both triumphs and jumps in the saddle again on Saturday afternoon.
Alexander admitted it would be a fairy tale to win another hometown feature.
"It would but we are not in the hot seat to win it, but we'll see," he said.
"Last year I was just as pessimistic on his chances and he won so you never know."
Kiwia placed third in the Coongy Stakes at Caulfield two runs before his Ballarat Cup win last year and managed the same placing in the same race last month. But a well-beaten 10th in the Cup Day Plate at Flemington in early November leaves the horse as one of the outsiders for victory.
"It's good that he's still up and about and in good enough form three years in-a-row to be running," Alexander said.
"His form this year hasn't been good at all, but if you look at it 12 months ago it was just as average. You never know.
"He's a year older and a bigger price, up in the weights, so it's against him. And I think this is a vintage Ballarat Cup - the toughest year I've seen - so he'll need to be at his best.
"But it's a good story."
Kiwia is rated a $26 chance with the TAB - the third roughest of the field - while Junipal (Ciaron Maher/David Eustace) and Affair To Remember (Dan O'Sullivan) are the joint $5.50 favourites.
Alexander said O'Sullivan's charge was perhaps the horse to beat in the race.
"She's got winning form, doesn't have a huge weight, a home track advantage and a good jockey (Mark Zahra)," he said.
The Ballarat Cup (2000m) is race eight on Saturday's 10-race card and is set to jump at 4.25pm.
The first race of the day is scheduled to start at 12.10pm, with the last to go at 5.40pm.