Tony McEvoy can claim local knowledge to make a case for veteran galloper Prince Of Capers in the $150,000 Hawkesbury Gold Cup on Thursday.
The Adelaide trainer is chasing his second Hawkesbury feature mile win since opening a satellite stable at the provincial track in April.
It's been a move that returned an immediate reward when Mouro won the Rowley Mile and McEvoy figures Prince Of Capers has an edge as the only Hawkesbury-trained horse in the Cup.
"There's got to be a home town advantage so let's hope it comes into play," McEvoy said.
If it doesn't, McEvoy says he can rely on Prince Of Capers' continued enthusiasm for racing despite his advancing years.
"He has been absolutely amazing for the stable," McEvoy said.
"Every stable would like one like him because he's honest and he gives everything he's got."
There was no better example of McEvoy's appraisal when Prince Of Capers turned in an outstanding run in the Coffs Harbour Cup only to finish in the minor placing.
"I think he was six-and-a-bit weeks between runs and he showed a lot of courage," McEvoy said of the eight-year-old.
Robert Thompson, the record-breaking jockey who rode Prince Of Capers to win a Rosehill race in June, will be back in the saddle from the widest draw in the Group Three race.
Prince Of Capers is a $26 chance in a market where more than half the 10-horse field is rated in single figures.
The Paul Messara-trained Mic Mac ($4.20) kept favouritism on Wednesday as he tries to add the Cup to his Civic Stakes win, his first victory since claiming the 2009 Memsie Stakes.
Now an eight-year-old, Mic Mac stretches out to a mile after chasing home Rain Affair over 1200m at weight-for-age at Randwick.
Loaded, trying to make it four wins from his past four starts, has attracted early support, firming from $11 to $9.50 despite being more than a month between races.
"His turn of foot is always at its best when he is fresh and he gets an opportunity to run a race," trainer Grant Allard said.