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Canberra’s Matthew Dale could equal South Coast trainer Terry Robinson’s record as the most successful TAB Highway Handicap trainer should he notch up another win at Rosehill on Saturday.

Dale has claimed four TAB Highway Handicaps to date, one less than Robinson.

On Saturday he will saddle up the topweight Thelittleracketeer in the 50th running of a Highway event since the races for country-trained horses were introduced to city programs last season.

Thelittleracketeer will lump 59kg in her first race back from a six-month spell but Dale says the weight isn’t a worry.

“She’s coming off a good break and she has performed well with weight before,” Dale said.

“It would be great to have a win. We haven’t had a Highway win this season,” Dale said.

Interestingly, two horses who raced in the very first Highway Handicap – Hesco Gold and Madame Fran – will line up in the 50th running.

A previous winner Snappy One, who saluted in August, is also returning for another tilt at the $60,000 prizemoney.

Eight of the 13 runners in Saturday’s race are competing in a Highhway event for the first time.

Since its inception last October more than $2.22 million in prizemoney has been distributed to TAB Highway Handicap participants.

A popular winner on Saturday would the 81-year-old Bathurst trainer Don Ryan.

Ryan is targeting Saturday’s race with the in-form Somebody, bred and raced by Ryan Bloodstock, a long-time family enterprise involving Don and his sons Andrew, Steve and Bernard.

The veteran trainer is about to form a training partnership with one of his three Andrew, who has ridden trackwork for his father for 25 years.

Somebody was a close second to Star Shaft in one of the strongest Highway races at Rosehill in July and won first-up from a break at Dubbo last month.

Ryan originally set Somebody for a Randwick Highway on Cox Plate day but she suffered a setback and was withdrawn.

“She’s a smart progressive mare but these Highways are tough races to win,” Ryan said.

“The bigger country stables with the numbers come for them and the prizemoney.”