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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Stephen Lee has been waiting for the right time to see if Caprice Des Dieux can back up his return to form and that time is Friday’s $150,000 Moonee Beach Hotel Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m).

The Ballina trainer took over the import earlier this year, he was previously prepared by Annabel Neasham, and it wasn’t until his fifth start in his care the gelding recorded his first Australian placing.

That was a close second behind Amberite over 1800m at Rosehill back on June 29.

Lee said while it has taken a bit of patience, he always felt confident Caprice Des Dieux would find something like the form that saw him win five of his first 12 starts in Europe.

“His first run for us at the Gold Coast was a good run, it was a hard track and he still performed well,’’ Lee said.

“You throw that run out at Doomben, he got trapped wide, but his other runs haven’t been too bad.

“He was just starting to feel good and come into form. We’ve been training him down on the beach, he’s working really well at the moment and we’re hoping the track stays a bit moist.”

Caprice Des Dieux was prominent in the run at Rosehill, settling just behind the speed before Jett Stanley made his move on the home turn and set out after the eventual winner.

Caprice Des Dieux runs second at Rosehill on June 29

He drew alongside at the 50m mark but couldn’t quite get past Amberite.

But Lee said it was a blueprint for the Coffs Harbour Cup where he’d like to see the six-year-old in a striking position once again and have his chance to put his name in the mix for the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) later this year.

“Jett’s coming up to ride him again, he’s had a few rides now so he knows him,’’ Lee said.

“Putting him into the race was a good thing the other day and we’ll be doing the same with him.

“He’s just turned the corner for us and we’ve given him five weeks between runs so we’ve come back to the mile. If he brings that form he’s got to be in the mix.”

Of his other runners at the Coffs Harbour Cup meeting, Lee hopes Nickelback has a better fortunes, than when he ran sixth at Lismore last week, in the Cetnaj Merv Mercer Mile (1600m).

The gelding was badly held up for a run and went to the line untested beaten 1.8 lengths and he’s come up with another inside barrier.

“Nickelback was very unlucky the other day at Lismore, he’ll race really well,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Friday's Coffs Harbour meeting