HE was pipped at the post by Lady Evelyn in the Port Cup prelude, but trainer John Sprague and jockey Luke Rolls believe Dew Drop is primed for Friday's Port Macquarie Cup feature.
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Both Sprague and Rolls have something in common - they have never won on the most important day on the Port Macquarie racing calendar.
Sprague has had plenty of chances over the years as a trainer while Rolls will ride in his first-ever Cup.
The New Zealand-born hoop was on board the five-year-old a fortnight ago and despite running second by a half-head, he has no intentions of doing anything different.
Rolls doesn't feel the extra 200-metre distance they will have to travel will be a factor either.
"I don't think it will be; he was pretty strong through the line (in the prelude) so it won't matter at all," he said.
"He's a horse that gets well back in a race even though he drew well in the prelude he still got back second last but had a lovely run.
"He's got a lovely turn of foot; his only quirky part is he hangs in bad, but that doesn't bother me because I'm a right-handed whip.
"If you get going on him from about the 600 onwards he makes his own luck."
The Sprague stable has drawn barrier two which will suit both horse and jockey over the distance.
"Barrier two is always handy to draw - inside - but it doesn't really matter with him because he's a get-back horse anyway," Rolls said.
"Hopefully drawing barrier two he can pozzy up that little bit closer than having to go right back through the field to get one off.
"He was beaten by a long neck (in the Prelude) and he's a few weeks in between runs so he should definitely be better for this run.
"He's a good lightweight chance."
Before his second-place finish in the prelude, Rolls steered the gelding to a win over 1615 metres at Coffs Harbour on September 15.
Rolls was also looking forward to his first Port Macquarie Cup, but there are no expectations.
"It's just another country cup; pretty happy to be riding in it," he said.
The feature race jumps at 5.10pm on Friday at Port Macquarie Racecourse.
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