A plan five years in the making could reap the ultimate reward when Little Prophet lines up in the Country Championships Final at Randwick Racecourse on Saturday.
And while the three-year-old filly has drawn the car park, Wauchope trainer Colt Prosser knows how meaningful victory as a rank outsider would be.
He allowed himself the opportunity to dare to dream if all the stars aligned.
"It's life-changing. That sort of money would nearly pay for the new house I'm in the process of trying to build," he said.
"I've seen other guys like Jenny Graham and Marc Quinn who have run really competitive races and to get that pay cheque once a year into your bank account changes everything.
"It changes those little, hard, day-to-day battles that everyone has to make ends meet."
Little Prophet qualified for the crack at $500,000 when she finished second to Swamp Nation at Taree on February 20.
And while Prosser has experienced the winning feeling at Randwick before, nothing would compare to a win in the Country Championships Final.
He has never qualified for it before let alone won it.
This is the first horse that I've qualified for the finals. We've been working towards this for four or five years.
- Colt Prosser
"Any trainer that doesn't aspire to get to Randwick and win races there .. they're in the wrong game," he said.
"When I go there it feels like grand final day. I've been lucky enough to win a few races at Randwick; I've won on a day where Winx was having one of her last starts and it was a magnificent feeling.
"This is the first horse that I've qualified for the finals. We've been working towards this for four or five years."
Prosser will aim to repeat the heroics of Port Macquarie trainer Jenny Graham in 2018 when Ben Looker saluted on board Victorem.
Marc Quinn trained Cogliere to a heat win in 2017, although he couldn't quite get the job done in the final.
They will need some luck, but the recent heavy rainfall up and down the east coast of New South Wales could play into the Wauchope trainer's hands.
He won't be upset at the sight of a heavy track. It would suit them.
"The wet track won't really worry us because we're going to have a big weight drop so with no weight in the mud I expect her to run really well," Prosser said.
We're expecting a heavy track which I think will play into our hands.
- Colt Prosser
"You always need that little bit of luck.
"We're expecting a heavy track which I think will play into our hands. She won a maiden on a very heavy track at Murwillumbah and she probably should have won her other start on a heavy track at Coffs Harbour."
Port Macquarie jockey Cejay Graham will saddle up on race day and they have a plan. Now the challenge is to follow through with it.
"She's that sort of horse that when she's trucking so well you think 'just let her run and they'll have to catch us', but that's what happened in the Qualifier," Prosser said.
"She hit the front and was a sitting duck late for a few to chase her.
"The day she gets that chance where she's going to get on the back of a few I think she'll be better. I think she'll get that in this really good, quality race."
The race jumps at 2.35pm on Saturday.
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