After riding Wouldnt It Be Nice for the first time, Christian Reith knows what to do differently in the Winter Stakes.

The jockey was on board the Paul Perry-trained gelding for his last start in the Listed Civic Stakes (1350m) on July 2.

As he prepares to ride him again in the Listed Winter Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday, Reith admits he didn't bide his time in the Civic.

"I felt I probably let him go a bit too soon," Reith said.

"He was found wanting the last little bit."

Ridden near the tail of the field, Wouldnt It Be Nice finished seventh of nine runners in the Civic Stakes and Reith says he will again ride the horse quietly as he looks to capitalise on the gelding's finish as he extends to 1400m.

"I'll hang on to him a lot longer," Reith said.

"If he can use that turn of foot that he's got and be within striking distance he'll run a good race."

For Wouldnt It Be Nice, it will be the third time in as many years he tries to win the Winter Stakes.

His best effort came last year when he finished third behind Rugged Cross on a heavy track.

Wouldnt It Be Nice is $14 to win the race and bookmakers are having a hard time ruling any horse out with the Matthew Smith-trained Zin Zan Eddie the rank outsider of the 10-horse field at $23.

Three horses share $5 favouritism - Ninth Legion, Oxford Poet and Better Not Blue.

Chris Waller trains Tales Of Grimm and Marenostro in the race, $6 and $8 respectively, and Peter and Paul Snowden will saddle up $7 chance Snippets Land.

Joe Pride has accepted in the race with Shadow Lord instead of running him over 1200 metres in the benchmark 93 later in the day.

Shadow Lord, $11 for the Winter Stakes, will be on a one-week back up from finishing fourth at Randwick on Saturday.

"I've got no concerns about him running two weeks in a row," Pride said.

"He's a good back-up horse."