But since a breakthrough victory on his home track at Tamworth, the trainer-driver has quickly been making up for lost time.

A lot of that success is down to the performances of one horse, Shadow Dealer.

Tamworth-based Gray retired in 1995 but after having a few drives in recent years he got back to winning ways when saluting with Shadow Dealer on his home track on November 25.

The promising gelding then recorded three more wins and failed to miss a placing in all but one of his next 11 starts.

A spell followed that but after winning two of five recent trials, Shadow Dealer makes his return to the track at Dubbo Harness Racing Club on Sunday.

Gray’s hope is expected to be one of the most popular with punters in the two heats of the Dubbo RSL Club Resort series.

The heats will be raced over 2120m, with Shadow Affair starting from gate six in the latter of the two.

The heats headline Sunday’s eight-race meeting, which gets underway from 1.56pm.

Gray will again drive Shadow Dealer in his first race start since March of this year.

Having only missed the placings once in his 13 start career, Shadow Dealer has opened one of the favourites for the event along with the Steve Turnbull trained Camelot Speedstar.

Amanda Turnbull will take the drive for her father, Camelot Speedstar heading into the event after a second -placed finish at Young on Tuesday night.

The Mick Pay-trained Im Super Sophie is one of a number of hometown hopes in the race and the trainer will be hoping his mare has better luck then last time out, when she was forced out of a race at Bathurst early due to a flat tyre on the gig.

The first heat of the Dubbo RSL Club Resort series will see Smiling Sam aim to return to winning ways after two second placed finishes and a third in his past three starts.

Trained by Gemma Rue and driven by her husband, Mat, Smiling Sam will go from gate six at Dubbo.

Racing starts at 1.56pm.