Ultima Chance will lug 61kg in Saturday’s $30,000 feature race at Orange’s Towac Park but Dryden said the gelding’s improving form this preparation and the fact celebrated country hoop Greg Ryan will steer him should offset the load.

“You probably wouldn’t want him to be carrying much more than that, he’s not the biggest horse getting around, but he’ll still be more than competitive. He’s running well at the moment,” Dryden, who co-trains the horse with Scott Collings, said.

“He did struggle a bit early on (in this preparation) but he’s improved a lot, he ran second in the (Japan) Cowra Cup and then won the Braidwood Cup (last weekend).

“And Greg, well, he’s one of the best jockeys out this way. He’s ridden him before too, won the Jungle Juice Cup on him at Cessnock (in 2016).”

The third at Cowra was a slightly shorter trip of 1200 which, through his 59-start, 12-win career, has been his most successful distance, while the Braidwood Cup win was over 1350, so will have no issue handling a little bit extra.

Adam Duggan’s Kopite and the Barbara Joseph and Paul Jones-trained Bank On Henry, a former Country Championships finalist, look the most likely to challenge Dryden’s gelding, although Mark Milton’s Escebee certainly has claims too.

Ultima Chance’s adaptability might be a telling factor though.

“He’ll run handy, wherever he goes. If he leads he leads, if he sits back he sits. The plan wasn’t to lead in the Braidwood Cup but he jumped so well [Chelsea McFarlane] had to really and she rode him really well,” Dryden said.

“Not that we’ll give Greg much instruction. Jockeys like him and Mathew Cahill have ridden far more winners than me, so I’ll trust him to know what to do.

“We’ll see how we go, we’ll keep poking him around these cups after this too.” 

The Banjo Paterson Cup jumps at 2.46pm and is the feature event in the seven-race meeting.

Garry Lunn, Michael Lunn and Connie Greig are among the trainers heading to Orange.