Hobby trainer Matthew Gilmore heads to Sandown on Wednesday in search of a first city victory.

Gilmore saddles up Tallat who is chasing a hat-trick of wins in the Schweppes Handicap (1600m).

Tallat won a race at a metropolitan meeting held at Mornington in September last year, however Gilmore is not claiming the win as a city success.

"It was half a city win," Gilmore said. "That's the way I'm looking at it."

An electrician by trade, Gilmore has just two horses in work and ventures from his home in Rosedale in Victoria's south-east to Sale, a 30-minute drive, four times a week for trackwork.

It's a task he and his wife Catherine have undertaken for around six years and as a hobby trainer Gilmore says the two horses he has in work are more than enough.

Tallat did his early racing for Darley under the care of Peter Snowden before Gilmore bought the Elusive Quality gelding for $6500 in December 2012.

After two runs he sent the gelding to Ballarat for a wind operation and on resumption, some eight months later, he was successful at Mornington.

While he won on a heavy track at Mornington, the gelding wasn't at home on wet surfaces during the winter months last campaign.

After a couple of moderate runs after a 16-week break, Tallat eventually broke through at Yarra Glen before winning the Ballan Cup at Geelong on November 8.

"It was good to get a country cup, even if it was a small country cup, last time but to win a city race would be great," Gilmore said.

Gilmore rides Tallat in most of his work and at Sandown has called on the services of apprentice Patrick Moloney.

Les Tilley was successful on the six-year-old at Yarra Glen and Geelong but is sidelined through suspension.

"He's an easy horse to ride," Gilmore said.

"I ride him in work most of the time and he's a pleasure to do anything with.