"The Country Championship is in the back of my mind, provided she comes back stronger and more mature," Graham said.

"It's only a thought at this stage but she is a very adaptable filly and providing she keeps improving next preparation we would have to give more serious thought to chasing a race like that, particularly when it's in our own backyard."

The $100,000 Port Macquarie heat of the Championship over 1200 metres is on Friday, March 6.

Sixty Paces, a half-sister to Graham's talented mare Poetic Debate, goes in to tomorrow's race as the winner of two of her last three starts, all on this track.

And in all three starts she has been ridden by Graham's daughter, Melinda, who has the ride again.

Melinda Graham, one of the few apprentices with a university degree (dietetics and nutrition) earned praise from her mother for her commitment to her new profession.

"I suppose it comes from the discipline she learned at university but Melinda puts a lot of time into her home work for every race," she said.

"She is also working hard on practising how to more effectively push a horse out in a finish."

More and more trainers throughout the northern half of the state are recognising her talents and wanting to take advantage of her three kilogram claim.

In the last month, Graham has ridden winners from Taree north to Ballina and inland to Inverell where she scored a double.

The Marc Quinn trained Zinging gets her chance to go one better in the Lake Cathie Bowling and Recreation Club Maiden (1200m) at her second start back from a spell.

Quinn hopes that will be the case after closely studying the form over the weekend.

At Port Macquarie 11 days ago Zinging led only to be caught near the line and beaten by the Tracey Bartley trained Tears In Heaven to land a big plunge.

Bartley has an opinion of Tears In Heaven and she will run at Wyong on Thursday.

"I don't think there is a Tears In Heaven in this race and while we are drawn awkwardly again we were only beaten a length," Quinn said.

"The good thing is my filly has improved."

However Zinging does run into the Paul Perry trained Stuck On You, one of 10 horses the leading Newcastle trainer is bringing to the meeting.

Stuck On You has been placed at her last two starts at Muswellbrook and Quirindi and her length second at Muswellbrook was behind Parmelia, a filly that fellow Newcastle trainer David Atkins has a big opinion of.

Interestingly Parmelia runs at Scone today.

This is the first time Perry will have runners at Port Macquarie in more than two years and he is coming back because of the vast improvement to the racing surface since course manager Mark Prior took over.