Less than two years ago Clayton Tonkin was content to take a back seat and play a support role to his partner and leading trainer Emma Stewart.
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He had not trained in his own right since 2004.
Then with the emergence of star pacer Ride High, Tonkin returned to training ranks. Ride High was his first runner back in November, 2019.
Now, not that far down the track Tonkin has a starter in Australia's richest race, the Miracle Mile, at Menangle on Saturday night.
Out To Play earned a berth in the $1m feature with a second in a qualifier at the Sydney circuit.
Tonkin also has Idyllic in the group 1 $200,000 New South Wales Derby on the same program.
Barrier draws have not been to kind to either starter, but for the Cardigan-based Tonkin it will still be one of the biggest nights of his career.