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Last year's Grafton Cup runner-up Winkler faces a stern first-up challenge when he resumes for his new trainer in Sunday's $50,000 South Grafton Cup.

Winkler is now prepared by young Ballina trainerEthan Ensby, who took over the gelding after his former trainer John Everson retired.

Winkler  is owned by Everson and he has leased the horse to a syndicate of Ensby's clients.

Ensby says he is not sure what to expect from Winkler on Sunday.

"We've been trying to work him out," Ethan said.

"John told me he wasn't a flash track worker and I wasn't happy with him."

Ensby added blinkers to Winkler's work and the improvement iwas just what the trainer was hoping for.

"He flew. He should definitely be competitive on his work,"he said.

Ensby had hopes of running Winkler in  next Thursday's $165,000 Grafton Cup but he is now programmed to follow Sunday's race with starts at the Coffs Harbour carnival next month.

"He'll start on Sunday and then we'll look for an 1800 to 2000m race for him before Coffs Harbour," Ensby said.

Winkler has drawn barrier three in the South Grafton Cup that has drawn a strong Northern Rivers representation with Ballina trainer Stephen Lee, Grafton-based Daniel Want and Murwillumbah's Matthew Dunn taking on last year's winer COGLIERE , trained at Port Macquarie by Marc Quinn.

Dunn, currently leading the Northern Rivers Racing Association trainer's premiership with 48.5 wins, has two runners - PETROLOGY and ZAMEX .

Stephen Lee, second on the premiership with 28 wins, also has two South Grafton Cup runners in Spiral and last start winner SORNJA .

Daniel Want expects his runner CENTRAL WITNESS to improve on his eighth in last year's South Grafton Cup.

"He'll run a good race, it just depends on how the track plays," Want said.

"He's been doing well up at the Gold Coast in recent starts and he'll get through the wet just fine, he's won a few on wet tracks at Grafton.

"He always runs well in Grafton, they always tend to go better on their home track.

"They don't run too many races that suit him at Grafton any more so that's why we've been racing up on the Gold Coast."