Ron Quinton doesn't need to be reminded it is almost the anniversary of stable favourite Monton's brush with Group One fame.

In a finish that took the judge longer than usual to decide the result, Monton had the 2013 Chipping Norton Stakes snatched from under his nose by Shoot Out.

And Quinton is forced to relive the defeat each time he turns on his television.

"There's an ad on TV that shows the finish. I still don't know how he got beaten," Quinton said.

In the ensuing 12 months, Monton lost form but he has found it again to such an extent he will be shooting for a hat-trick of Sydney wins at Randwick on Saturday.

The fact Monton is sharing equal favouritism in the Eatability Handicap (1600m) is a reward for Quinton's patience as he waited for NSW racing's maligned handicapping system to provide some relief for the best horse in his stable.

"It got to the stage that his rating was so high that the only races I could run him in were Group races," Quinton said.

"But luckily I've been able to find a couple of open handicap races and the drop in class has certainly helped him."

Monton has 60kg but Quinton will stick with a winning formula by calling on stable apprentice Sam Clipperton's 1.5kg claim for a Randwick assignment that could clinch another shot at the Chipping Norton.

"The way he's going now you could never say never," he said.

"But by the time the good races come around again he would be fairly deep into his campaign and horses can't keep going forever."

Monton heads betting at $3.60 with Red Excitement, the Gerald Ryan-trained galloper who is also shooting for a city hat-trick.

They hold an early call over Lightinthenite ($5.50), a well-performed middle-distance galloper who filled the minor placing behind Hawkspur at weight-for-age over Saturday's course in the Chelmsford Stakes when resuming in the spring.