The Matthew Dale-trained Unanimously will join a select band of horses if the talented sprinter can make it back-to-back wins in the Wagga Town Plate (1200m).
Only three horses – Grafteline (1907-08), Prince Wal (1972-73) and Prince Morgan (1974-75) have made it successive victories.
Two others – Burmonga (1963-65) and Miss Comanche (1990-92) have won the race twice in different years since records were first kept from 1901.
The topweight and race favourite is in peak condition as the six-year-old gelding bids for an historic feat on Thursday.
“He’s come through his Melbourne runs well and pulled up well after his last start,” Canberra-based Dale said.
“The big weight and wide barrier are two negatives but he’s in great form.”
Unanimously, with Glyn Schofield in the saddle, won last year’s Town Plate carrying 56kg.
This time around the son of Not A Single Doubt rises to 59kg and has to come from barrier 14.
“He’s up three kilos from last year but I believe the weight scale for the Town Plate is fair and relevant,” Dale said.
Dale is chasing his third Town Plate after also scoring with Little Shrek in 2006.
Blake Shinn, Unanimously’s rider on Thursday, won the Town Plate aboard outsider Adamon for Mornington trainer Nathan McPherson in 2012.
Shinn has had one ride on Unanimously, finishing a good fourth in the Listed WJ Adams Stakes at Caulfield in February last year.
Dale has given Unanimously a different preparation leading into the Town Plate than in 2013.
The classy gelding resumed with an unlucky short neck second to top sprinter Platelet over 955m at Moonee Valley on March 21 before a short head second to Pago Rock over 1100m at Caulfield on April 19.
“Last year he was coming off the Oakleigh Plate, Canberra and a hard trip to Toowoomba for the Weetwood,” Dale said.
“This preparation he’s third up in as good, if not better form than ever.”
