“Hopefully, the next step is winning The Gong or a Warra.

“I had the highs of Sir John in group 1s, but then I had a couple of bad injuries back to back, and you can get forgotten about pretty quick in this game, unless you’re one of the big guys, so it’s good to be back.”

Headwall, a last-start winner at Randwick over The Warra distance, shapes as a better chance on the day, at $5.50.

Spriggs rode him to third place in a support race on The Gong program last year and hopes to score a special win for part-owner Reg Young and his family.

“Headwall, I just love him. There’s a lot of emotion in that horse,” he said.

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“One of the owners, [Reg’s wife] Marie Young, had motor neurone disease and died just over a year ago, and we had the funeral up on the hill at Kembla, so it would be pretty special if we could get him to win.

“He’s certainly a talented horse, and I’m excited by him. He’s drawn 11 of 11, but it doesn’t matter there – there’s one turn and I think he races better when he’s on the outside of them. And if there’s a bit of give in the track, he’s a great chance.

“It would be quite emotional if we could get him home, and he’s well placed at 53 kilos.”

Kembla was rated a soft 6 on Thursday with fine weather forecast for Friday and Saturday.