A horse Keith Dryden decided to race himself to keep faith with a long-time client will be out to confirm how unlucky he was during the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup carnival when he returns to city racing.

Daryl will line up in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1250m) at Canterbury on Wednesday - a race the trainer hopes can go a long to shaping the four-year-old's future as a sprinter-miler despite an adverse barrier.

"I'm a bit disappointed in the draw from where he is but he's still going to start because I want to step him up in distance," Dryden said.

"I need to get a couple of runs into him to get him over a mile."

Daryl is a five-time winner from 13 starts and has already banked $50,000 in stakes for Dryden.

"He is a horse who I got left with in a kind of way," Dryden said.

"A client sent him to me to see if I could get someone to buy him or lease him.

"I thought I had him sold to three young blokes and they made three appointments to see him but each time they never turned up.

"In the end I was that embarrassed they had let me down I said I would race him myself with an option to purchase."

Daryl was tested in a good quality race when he was down the track in the Goulburn Cup last year.

He didn't disappoint his trainer but luck has deserted the horse in two return runs.

"He probably should have won at Wagga and everything with him since has been fine so hopefully he'll run me a really nice race," Dryden said.

Dryden will also start three-year-old Crusader General in the TAB Iphone App Handicap (1200m).

"His problem is that he is half a hand too small but he is what he is and he's honest," Dryden said.