Nine of its 10 wins have been on the Bushland Drive Racecourse.

Four have been in heavy ground and eight at the distance of the Saxby’s Ginger Beer Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1250m.

“The horse has been ticking along well but I would have liked a jump out during the week to finish him off for the race,” trainer Ross Stitt said.

Clan McClymont won at Taree three starts back after a let-up and in two runs since may have been feeling his feet on good surfaces at Inverell and Coffs Harbour.

Despite having to lump 59.5kg, after the allowance for stable apprentice Matthew McGuren, the gelding looks head and shoulders above his rivals.

His dangers are likely to be Muswellbrook galloper Bottled Up, a winner in the wet and its last start for trainer Pat Farrell, and Port Macquarie’s Hoist, trained by Neil Godbolt, which should be ready to strike form at her third run back from a break.

“She is still not back to where I want her but she is a chance in this field,” Godbolt said.

Grafton’s four-year-old gelding Bundy Special, trained by Alan Ryan and to be ridden by in-form Grafton apprentice Anthony Allen, is fit and looms as the one to beat after a good second on its home track to promising Tuncurry-owned Billy Tea at Grafton last start.

Best bets on a difficult card should be Nonino in the first race and Muscatels in the second.