Trainer Tim Donnelly has Participator ready to hit back from his luckless last start when he lines up in the XXXX Gold 150 Years of Wagga Gold Cup Benchmark 80 (1400m) on Sunday.

Jockey Jason Lyon was more than happy to ride whatever Albury trainer Ron Stubbs handed him for the Newhaven Park Southern Districts Country Championships (1400m) and he came up trumps as Bianco Vilano won his way to Royal Randwick.

It took Tim Donnelly having to go through what went wrong in Participator’s two worst performances to settle on the best way to prepare the promising gelding for Saturday’s $150,000 Newhaven Park Southern Districts Country Championships (1400m) at Albury.

Golden Slipper-winning jockey’s Australian return to happen at his old home track.

There’ll be a familiar feel to jockey Dan Beasley’s return to Australian racing at Wagga Wagga on Thursday, after an over seven year absence, as he rides for his first boss, a couple of close friends, and a young trainer he says has a big future.