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By Graeme White

Favourite Hardware Lane ($2.30 on TAB) is ready to prove his credentials for the SDRA Newhaven Park Country Championships qualifier when he starts in the preview at Albury on Thursday.

Albury trainer Mitch Beer accepted with three horses for the warm-up to the $150,000 ace which will also be held at Albury on Saturday, February 25.

Hardware Lane wins for James McDonald at Hawkesbury. Image by Bradley Photographers

Albury has a strong line-up of horses for next month’s race and Beer rates Hardware Lane as his top pick.

The premiership-winning trainer also accepted with Well In Sight ($7.50) but has scratched Sunrise Ruby.

Well In Sight is a well performed mare returning to country class, while Hardware Lane has a touch of class on his side with four wins from 12 starts.

He has won his only two starts at Albury, while Well In Sight boasts even better figures of four wins from as many starts.

“Hardware Lane has a few lengths on my other horse, but it depends on how the race is run,” Beer said.

Hardware Lane finished third when resuming from a racing break at Warwick Farm on December 21.

Well In Sight has taken four wins from her eight starts and has also been off the scene for a while since finishing seventh at Flemington on January 1.

Albury trainer Ron Stubbs also has dual representation with the resuming Baledon ($7) and the face fit, Race Against Time ($7).

Baledon won at Rosehill two starts ago on August 27 and last raced at the same course two weeks later. Race Against Time has raced twice for Stubbs with a last start second at Wagga indicating he was nearing a win.

Stubbs, a master conditioner with a strong team heading towards the Country Championships, believes Baledon can make his presence felt.

“His strength is his finish and in his previous campaign he ran a very good second first-up at Corowa,” he said. “I was pleased with Race In Time’s last start and hopefully he can run well.”

Hardware Lane has met with the most support in early betting firming from $2.70 to $2.30, while Well In Sight has nearly halved her opening price.

Meanwhile, promising filly November Falls is another horse resuming facing on the day in the Class 1 (1175m). November Falls looked the part winning at her second start prior to a spell and is rated a $2.70 chance behind favourite Altrove ($2.50).

“I like her. She was good at her latest start and I think she will be better over a bit more distance,” Beer said.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Albury here