Trainer Roy L McCabe is hopeful his first start winner, Arrow Gaze, can remain focused as she prepares for a dash around Bathurst’s Tyers Park on Saturday.

Arrow Gaze was victorious on debut at Dubbo on Melbourne Cup day, battling through pre-race barrier troubles to win by a length.

She lines up for her second start in the fourth of six events at Bathurst on Saturday, the Oak Tree Retirement Village Class 1 Handicap (1400 metres).

The Bathust trainer said there’s still work to be done on the Intergaze mare but she’s come a long way.

“She’s had a few problems but it’s good to see her get to the track,” McCabe said.

“She’s had a couple of barrier issues. She was meant to race at Bathurst 10 days before Dubbo but she got up in the barriers and they scratched her.”

McCabe would love to see his mare keep her winning ways going but knows it will be a tough ask.

“She ran well at Dubbo but she’s got to step up in grade now since she’s no longer a maiden,” he said.

“Regardless of if she wins this race or not she will go to the paddock after this, just to let her mature a little bit.”

Jeff Kehoe will take the ride from barrier eight in the race, which also features Velvet Glove from the Dubbo stables of Garry Lunn.

The gelding is deep into his preparatuion having had 14 starts since early June but he has yet to score a win this time out.

There was back-to-back second-placed finishes at Gulargambone and Coonabarabran recently but they have been followed by consecutive eighths at both Tamworth and Warren.

Apprentice Alena Skerritt, someone who has ridden plenty for Lunn, again has the ride and will go from wide out in barrier 12.

Lunn is one of a number of Dubbo trainers making the trip to Tyers Park.

His brothers, Dar, Lee, and Michael will also have hopes going around at the Bathurst track, along with Justin Stanley and Darren Hyde.

Wellington pair Michael Mulholland and Jim McMillan will also saddle up chances.

Hyde will have a newcomer to his stable going around in the Bathurst RSL Club Class2  Handicap (1100m).

Tennessee Pasha was previously raced by Wellington’s Karen McCarroll but now calls Dubbo home.

The five-year-old mare has just one win in 25 starts and hasn’t raced since August 6 of this year, when she finishing last at Forbes when still under the care of McCarroll.

Tennessee Pasha will be a big outsider in the event but will carry the bottom weight of 54kg in the Bathurst event and will have Adrian Robinson in the saddle.

Racing starts at 1.58pm at Bathurst’s Tyers Park on Saturday.