PAUL Theobald knows he will have to pull off a major upset to secure his first Bathurst RSL Club Soldier's Saddle (1400 metres) win on Thursday but assistance in the weights could help his cause.
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Theobald has entered Heeby Frenly into the Class 4 $32,000 feature race where the seven-year-old has a big task ahead of him.
Heeby Frenly is a Class 2 runner who is chasing his first win since May 2016 but racing can be a funny game, plus the sole home-trained representative gets a helping hand in the 10-horse event.
Heeby Frenly gets a nine kilo buffer to the top weight horse, which comes in handy when that runner happens to be Gayna Williams' $500,000 Country Championships finalist Noel's Gift.
"He's one chance in 10," is the way Theobald sees it.
"He's looking good and comes in on the weight. I've put Ashleigh Stanley on board which brings him in on the weight and brings him into contention.
"It might be a telling factor or it might not be."
This will be the fourth start back this preparation for Heeby Frenley.
He finished third at picnic level in his latest start at Grenfell but prior to that was off the pace at Crookwell and Orange.
Heeby Frenly has plenty of familiarity with the Bathurst turf.
Thursday will be his 15th look at the Tyers Park course.
"Picnic form could be good form. You never know," Theobald said.
"They've been good results lately, he's just had bad luck in the run. He's built up his fitness so he's up for it. Hopefully we can pull off an upset. I've done it before."
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Thoebald's best result in the Saddle came four years ago when All Sixes finished a close third on a heavy track.
Noel's Gift isn't the only horse with Country Championships series experience taking on the feature race this Thursday.
Supreme Polarity, trained by Canberra's Nick Olive, was unlucky not to qualify for the Randwick finale after finishing third in his heat at Goulburn.
Seeing return runners in the Saddle is a rarity but Williams' Skin Deep returns for another crack at the race after coming home seventh in the 2018 edition.
Williams is the only trainer to field more than one runner in the race.
Bjorn Baker finished third in last year's race with Mad For Art and he's chasing a better result this time around with Snitzel mare Zabeel's Choice.
The Bathurst RSL Club Soldier's Saddle jumps from 3.56pm.
The opening event on the seven-race card gets started at 12.56pm.