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Stratofortress, with connections to the late training legend Tommy Smith, will be out to give well known local owners Joe and 'Loo' Manning a home town win in the Cootamundra Cup on Sunday.

The five-year-old gelding, trained by Trevor Sutherland in Wagga, was initially under the care of Smith's daughter, Gai Waterhouse.

The Mannings raced many topline gallopers under Smith's tutelage and Waterhouse, who has known the couple since childhood, still spells a large proportion of her horses at their 300-acre agistment property Littledale Lodge.

Joe Manning boasts the property has hosted 33 Derby, 11 Golden Slipper victors and a host of other Group One winners.

Sutherland appears to have timed Stratofortress's preparation to the minute in tackling the Cootamundra Cup.

The gelding also deserves a change of fortune after a second to Cup rival Steal The Thunder in the Narrandera Cup (1400m) on August 29 and a last start unlucky third to Tora Tora Tora in the Dubbo Cup (1600m) on September 20.

“He was unlucky not to win the Dubbo Cup,” Sutherland said.

“He was drawn in and in the end that resulted in his downfall. He got boxed up at the wrong time but finished strongly when he got out.

“He was about 95 per cent right then. Now is the best I've had him.

“I've had a bit of luck with Joe and Loo before but if Stratofortress can win the cup, hopefully they might send me down some more horses.”

Stratofortress, by Stavinsky, had several starts for Waterhouse, before a long spell following injury.

“He had his first preparation for me last autumn,” Sutherland said.

“Initially we were looking at getting him ready for the Wagga Cup but with the long break, I figured he wouldn't be ready in time and we were still sorting out a few issues with him.

“When he won over 1600 metres during the Wagga Cup carnival carrying a big weight, I knew then we had a nice horse on our hands.

“He's a lovely type, a big gross fella who was a lazy trackworker but he's a city class horse when you look at him."