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Queensland Derby-winning trainer Kerry Parker is trying to make up for lost time with The Houso, which lines up in the Dapto Citizens Bowling Club Handicap at Kembla Grange on Tuesday,

The six-year-old son of Conatus has had his dramas - he bowed a tendon as a young horse before finally making it to the track as a five-year-old and reeling off three wins to start his career, two at Moruya either side of a Queanbeyan success last year.

“It was good to get the boys some money back with him because they had been very patient with him,” Parker said.  “He had actually been trained in Sydney before I got him and when he arrived here he had been in the paddock for a couple of years.

“Once he got those three wins we decided to give him a good break to get over the prep and he has come back into work with high hopes.”

Those hopes were doused when he didn’t beat a runner home at Goulburn on his return in August, but he had excuses. After being send back to the barrier trials, The Houso lines up for the first time on his home track on Tuesday and it is a stepping stone in Parker’s eyes.

“He slipped coming around the turn at Goulburn and lost his confidence. In a 1000m race that was it and the jock did the right thing and didn’t knock him around after that,” Parker said. “He had to trial and is ready to go to the races again and it is a good test for him.

“He is not the biggest horse but he puts in and we are hoping he can stand up to better things this preparation. This is the next step trying to win at the Provincials and we are hoping to get him through a city race once the carnival is over up here.”