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By Ray Hickson

Scone trainer Cameron Crockett has always had the big picture in mind when Country Championships runner-up Commando Hunt returns at Dubbo on Sunday so he couldn’t believe his luck when one of the gelding’s owners drew a slot in The Kosciuszko.

Trainer Cameron Crockett (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The five-year-old is set to resume in the Evergreen Turf Vincent Gordon Flying Handicap (1100m) at Dubbo and Crockett said with part-owner Des Kennedy one of the lucky 14 slot winners he won’t be anywhere near as nervous for the first-up run.

“It makes things easier, it would have been a bit of a worry because even though I can set him for the race and tell everyone he’ll be ready third-up if he didn’t win people could think that’s not good enough,’’ Crockett said.

“For this horse to be at his best he’s got to be third or fourth up. I want him peaking on Kosciuszko Day. I don’t want him peaking before then.

“I’ve been through the Kosciuszko and I’d never had a horse that was first to be picked, so I was banking on getting a slot on prior form and having him spot on third-up than trying to win our way into the race.”

Sharpe Hussler ran seventh in the inaugural The Kosciuszko for Crockett while last year Mr Hussill finished sixth behind Art Cadeau but neither had the luxury of being specifically aimed at the race.

Commando Hunt, $2.70 favourite with TAB for his Dubbo return, ran Another One to a close margin in the Country Championships Final and Crockett believes that’s a very handy credential to have for what is a deceptively tough race.

“You look at his record and you think he’s a bit better at 1400m but you go back into the winners of The Kosciuszko and the majority aren’t 1200m horses,’’ he said.

“They’re horses that have won past 1400m. If you get to Randwick, it’s 1200m and it’s a heavy 10 anything that can run fast times over 1100m you might as well put a pen straight through. And anything that can’t handle Randwick when it’s wet.”

The gelding is one of three horses Crockett has engaged in the Dubbo sprint, though it’s possible both Don’tforgetmonica and Primal Scream could be saved for other races depending on the track condition after rain on Thursday.

He said if Primal Scream takes his place in the Dubbo race he would be some chance of toppling Commando Hunt.

"It wouldn’t surprise me to see him beat Commando Hunt but five weeks later I’d be highly doubtful that Primal Scream would beat him,'' he said.

While Commando Hunt's first-up record doesn’t make for great reading on the surface he’s rarely found a wet track when resuming and he started his Country Championships preparation beaten just over two lengths by Testator Silens in a Highway that contained Group 1 winner Shelby Sixtysix.

But with the Kosciuszko slot locked away, Crockett can be more comfortable about his expectations for Sunday’s first-up run.

Commando Hunt runs second in a trial at Tamworth on August 29

“I think he will get back and settle, I’d expect him to be finishing his race off really strong,’’ he said.

“I’m only looking to see my horse run well, he’s still got to run well.

“I couldn’t delay his first-up run any longer knowing I want that horse third-up into The Kosciuszko.”

The preparation Crockett has set out for Commando Hunt will see him run second-up in the $110,000 The Panorama (1300m) at Bathurst on September 25 then have three weeks into The Kosciuszko which he says allows him the time to put extra work into the horse if it’s needed.

Commando Hunt was $15 in TAB’s Kosciuszko market after securing his place in the field.

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s meeting at Dubbo