If wisdom and intelligence mean as much as honesty and ability in a racehorse, the veteran galloper Rockpecker could be in line for a career landmark at Flemington on Saturday.

Rockpecker, a nine-year-old with all the qualities of a horse half his age, is attempting the 10th win in a career his trainer Ken Fythe has carefully managed.

"We do everything we can for him," Fythe said.

"He spends almost every day in his paddock, he only runs when I'm completely happy with him.

"He's never knocked around and as a result he's not the average nine-year-old."

According to Fythe, Rockpecker's above-average qualities extend to his mental capacity.

"He's an exceptionally smart horse," he said.

"He notices anything different immediately, anything at all."

In particular, Rockpecker is acutely conscious of who is on his back, reserving his best efforts for champion rider Craig Williams who has ridden the horse to seven of his nine victories.

But with Williams's overseas commitments becoming more frequent, Fythe has had to look for substitutes with a similar style.

In Saturday's Spotless Plate (1420m) the trainer has chosen Steven Arnold to be as kind to Rockpecker as Williams is.

"Craig always rides him kindly and he responds to it," he said.

"Steve Arnold is much the same, I think they'll get on alright."

While a 10th win would be a worthy outcome for a horse who is closer to the end of his career than the start, Rockpecker is also closing in on a more-than-respectable prizemoney mark.

While Fythe is beyond counting the money won by a horse he paid $1250 for when it was eight months old, he acknowledges victory at Flemington would take Rockpecker's earnings to a tick under $700,000.

"But he's been more to us than that," he said.

"He's taken us to places we'd have never seen, he's been very, very good to us."

And his prospects of collecting the $60,000 first prize are sound on the strength of his last-start fourth at Flemington when his chances suffered after the saddle slipped on a horse ahead of him.

Favourite for the race is the Darren Weir-trained Lord Of Brazil who will be ridden by Tom Sadler who rode Rockpecker at the veteran's most recent start.