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Northern Rivers tracks have been a happy hunting ground in the past for veteran Brisbane sprinter Kievann and his trainer Lauren Abbott thinks the 10-year-old can land the 14th win of his career when he returns to Ballina on Sunday.

Kievann showed he still has plenty of zest for racing at his most recent outing at the Gold Coast on September 12 when he landed his 13th win in an Open Hcp (1300m). He will edge ever closer to the $500,000 career prizemoney mark if he lands Sunday's Open Hcp over the same distance at Ballina.

His only three previous trips across the border have resulted in wins at Ballina (December, 2018) and Grafton (March, 2020) and a close second at Ballina (November, 2018).

"He has always raced well whenever I've taken him into NSW and he's shown a real liking for Ballina in the past," said Abbott, who is based at Eagle Farm.

"I was planning to set him for the Murwillumbah Newmarket (in late August) but then the border was shut, so it's nice to get back into NSW for Sunday's race.

"He has to draw well in his races to be effective - which he has on Sunday - and he also has to have the races run at the right tempo. Hopefully, he can just settle off a good speed."

Abbott, who is one of the few dual jockey/trainer licence holders in Queensland, has ridden Kievann herself a few times recently, but Jordan Grob retains the ride on Sunday.

"Jordan rode him to victory at the Gold Coast last start and did nothing wrong on him and I promised him he could stick with him at Ballina," said Abbott.

Kievann wins at the Gold Coast on September 12V

"I would have ridden him myself at the Coast the other day, but I had another runner at Doomben that day as well.

"But I find it a bit of a headache to ride my own horses anyway. You have to get someone to saddle them up and strap them for you and it's all a bit of a hassle.

"And Jordan told me he used to ride Kievann in trackwork a lot down in Victoria when Stephen Brown trained him, so he really knows the horse very well. And he's not that easy a horse to ride."

Kievann was a handy city-class performer for Brown, winning three races at Moonee Valley and one at Morphettville, before Abbott purchased him through an online sale for $25,000 in 2018.

"He was the first horse I bought when I took out my trainer's licence," said Abbott, who has also ridden more than 300 winners.

Abbott likes to campaign her horses in North Queensland during the winter months and bought Kievann with Townsville's feature sprint, the Cleveland Bay Handicap in mind.

And she wasn't far off the mark, with Kievann finishing second to crack NQ sprinter Grey Missile in the $100,000 feature in July, 2018.

Grey Missile has since proven himself well up to Listed company this year after being transferred down to Toby and Trent Edmonds on the Gold Coast.

"Kievann's been a great horse to me. He's won five races for me and bad barriers in a few races have probably cost him a few more wins," said the trainer.

"And he's also probably taught me a lot about training, too. I've learned 'less is more' with him. I train him out of a paddock and take him to the beach a lot, which he thrives on.

"I'd love him to be able to crack half a million dollars in prizemoney before he's finished racing."

From 71 starts, Kievann has won 13 races and been placed another 16 times for career earnings at the moment of $482,635.

As a dual licence holder, Abbott is restricted to training just five horses for now, but is hoping that is soon eased and she will be able to increase the number to at leat 10 horses.

Grafton gelding Tobasco has also drawn ideally on Sunday as he chases his fourth straight win in the Benchmark 66 Hcp over 1000m.

The John Shelton-trained sprinter has put together three straight wins at Casino (August 15), Grafton (August 31) and Grafton again (September 21).

Tobasco jumps from gate four in the 11-horse field and will again be partnered by Ben Looker who has been aboard at his three previous wins.

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Ballina meeting