The leading local trainer has two chances in Sunday night’s $5000-to-the-winner Lesley Ann Leonard Memorial final while she’s also got Caitlyn Keeping in the Les Leonard Memorial Stakes.

Roberts faces a mighty challenge to go back-to-back in the 400m Lesley Ann Leonard feature, with Jingles Keeping and Sam Keeping drawing boxes five and six respectively.

Like many others in the lead-up to the final, Roberts has tipped Little Trojan from the kennels of Paul and Pamela Braddon as the ones to beat.

“Paul always has handy dogs and it looks like he’s got the one to beat again,” Roberts said.

“We drew pretty unfortunate boxes in five and six because our dogs aren’t the best beginners, but you’ve got to begin somewhere.

“They’ll go here and then we’ll go to the Soldiers Saddle in Bathurst and hopefully they can go up in distance.”

Roberts is treading an all too familiar path at the moment, with young dogs often making their debuts during Coonamble’s October long weekend carnival, before taking part in the Lesley Ann Leonard Memorial and Soldiers Saddle series.

Sam Keeping won in his first start at Coonamble and went on to win his heat at Dawson Park last week, while Jingles Keeping has run second at both Coonamble and Dubbo in her two starts.

But both are tardy starters and that means there is the chance both Jingles Keeping and Sam Keeping could find themselves in plenty of traffic early in Sunday’s final.

“He (Sam Keeping) has got a bit of ability but he’s just very highly strung,” Roberts said.

“I’m not saying he doesn’t have a motor but he just has a tendency to miss the kick.”

Little Trojan will go from box two while the Braddons’ other hope, Trojan’s Magic, will start in box four.

Another of the race’s main chances, the Alan Pringle-trained My Kinda Song, will go from box eight.

It will be David Pringle who battles Roberts, Braddon, and fellow leading trainer Dennis Barnes in the Les Leonard Memorial Stakes (516m).

In an open event which is arguably the best race of the night, Roberts has Caitlyn Keeping in box one while Barnes’ Nangar Gift is in box four and the Braddons’ Metallic Flash drew box eight.

However, the one which they all might be chasing is About The South from David Pringle’s kennels.

Racing starts at 5.53pm.