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By Ray Hickson

In an ideal world, trainer Matthew Smith would love to have a TAB Everest slot locked away for his smart sprinter Headwall in the days after his return at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Matthew Smith (Pic: Bradley Photos).

It’s been his goal to secure a start in the $20m sprint since the vastly improved short courser announced himself as a Group 1 winner in waiting back in the autumn with placings in the Newmarket Handicap and TJ Smith and his close second in The Quokka.

Like most of his rivals in the Group 3 $1m Kia Ora Concorde Stakes (1000m), Headwall has improvement in him but Smith said there can be no missteps given what’s at stake.

“For anyone that’s hoping to get a run in the Everest it’s pretty important,’’ Smith said.

“It’s a kick off point but I just want to see the horse come back and run well to know we’re on the right track.

“If you happen to win it you’ll be laughing, if he’s on his game and he could win or run top three someone would nearly grab you.”

Headwall, $4.80 with TAB on Thursday, is a $34 chance in the TAB Everest market.

Smith said though the six-year-old’s rise has been gradual it hasn’t been a surprise as many jockeys, not just his former regular partner Blake Spriggs, have told him there’s plenty of ability in the locker.

He ended last spring with a Group 3 win in The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange and since then the only way has been up.

“It’s been amazing how good he’s going and he might even be going better. He seems to be going very well anyway,’’ Smith said.

“If he was to come back the same he’s going to be competitive in these races.”

Zac Lloyd has the ride on Headwall in the Concorde, he’s been on board in the gelding’s two lead up trials, and Smith said he’d like to think he can make use of a handy barrier.

“We don’t want to be dragging anywhere in that race,’’ he said.

“Hopefully he can bounce and land in the middle off the speed and I hope there’s plenty of speed, plenty of pressure.”

Dual Coffs Harbour winner Time Quest has been freshened up since earning his Big Dance eligibility again just over a month ago and he’s engaged in the Fitzgerald Jenkins Recruitment Handicap (1600m).

Smith said he could wait for another Big Dance eligible race in the Tuncurry-Forster Cup next Friday but expects he’ll run well if he lines up at Randwick.

“His work was good on Tuesday, and on his day he’s a decent horse but everything has got to go right for him,’’ he said.

A dry track will be in the favour of Winston Hills as he attempts a second-up win in the NJT Cliff Clare Memorial Handicap (1200m) though he has the outside barrier to contend with.

The gelding ran fourth on a heavy 10 behind Kerguelen two weeks ago and the trainer said it’ll be up to the horse to settle a bit better in his race this time around.

Headwall run second in a Hawkesbury trial on August 25

“He just over raced first-up and went a bit keen. He’ll bounce back, he’s going well,’’ he said.

“Jason (Collett) said he would have liked to see him drop the bridle a bit, he was probably a bit above himself first-up and now he’s got the run under his belt he shouldn’t be far off.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting