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Local trainer Jason Attard has won the Hawkesbury Cup and now hopes to land a second feature on his home track in Thursday’s $150,000 Rowley Mile.

Attard won the 2015 Hawkesbury Gold Cup with Sons Of John and has set his lightweight hope Reiby The Red for Thursday’s 1600m feature.

Attard said winning the Rowley Mile would be special as Reiby The Red is raced by his major clients, Hawkesbury Race Club vice-chairman Syd Kelly and his wife Carolyn.

“Syd and Carolyn gave me the opportunity to train, and it would be fantastic to win a feature race such as the Rowley Mile for them on our home track,” Attard said.

“We’re taking on some tough company but I’m sure this horse will give us a great sight.”

Reiby The Red has started 10 times at 1600m for two wins – one of them over the Rowley Mile course – and three placings.

He was placed over 1500m at Rosehill on June 17 and again at Canterbury in early July and at his latest appearance ran on well when a close fourth to Nat King Cu over 1600m at Warwick Farm on August 2.

The six-year-old carried 59kg at his last run and drops 5kg to help offset the class rise.

Attard has called on Josh Adams to partner Reiby The Red in the Rowley Mile.

“Josh and I have known each other for quite a while,” Attard said. “We rode ponies together growing up, and he was apprenticed to Garry Frazer at Hawkesbury.

“He is doing a terrific job in this new chapter of his career, and I’m pleased to have him on Reiby The Red.”

The much improved four-year-old Arbeitsam, who has won three of his last four starts, is favourite for one of Hawkesbury’s historic races, first run in 1881.

Only the beaten Coffs Harbour Cup favorite Pelethronius and last start Rosehill winner Kingsguard are under double figures behind Abeitsam.

Tim Clark, successful on Arbeitsam two starts back, returns as the gelding’s rider as a result of Tommy Berry’s departure for Hong Kong.

Co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are relying on Arbeitsam for their inaugural Rowley Mile success. They won the Hawkesbury Gold Cup over the same course in April with Fabrizio.

In her own right Waterhouse has won the Rowley Mile five times with Adamantly (2001), Fiery Venture (2003), Beauty Watch (2007), Rabbuka (2008) and The Offer in 2015.

Sydney’s training supremo Waller is represented by Elle Lou (Glyn Schofield) and outsider Kinema (Blake Shinn).

Last year McCreery led home a Waller trifecta and provided him with his second success in the Listed event, joining his 2010 winner Snow Alert,

Co-trainers Peter and Paul Snowden have opted for blinkers on their representative Zaunkonig, to be ridden by Adrian Layt.

South Coast trainer Paul Murray is taking his Coffs Harbour Cup quinella horses Darci’s Affair (Andrew Adkins) and Gold Horizon (Jon Grisedale) to Hawkesbury for the Mile.