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By Tony Megahey

Elvis famously boomed the rock classic 'Viva Las Vegas' - so Howgoodisvegas?

The rejuvenated Moruya mare ($41 in from $51 on TAB), naturally named after the legendary resort city, is in good enough form to 'roll the dice' in the country TAB Class 3, Highway at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

On the strength of impressive all-the-way wins at home and at Queanbeyan for comeback trainer Colbey Hill.

Trainer Colbey Hill with one of her winners at Canberra. Image by Bradley Photographers

Colbey has won three races with the five-year-old mare, discarded by three regional stables as a nine-race maiden.

The accomplished horsewoman has developed a “scrawny little thing” into a winning speed package.

No suggestion the Moruya contingent are coming with 'money to burn' into far stronger company. However, there’s logic enough for a value gamble with the in-form mare.

Howgoodisvegas is a race-fit faultless beginner, near a guaranteed leader, handles all conditions with 57kg with a jockey yet to be declared for the $100,000, 1600m, Class 3 Plate. And Colbey sure knows what it takes to win in town.

Incredibly in 2007 as a first season training rookie, Colbey fearlessly came straight to town and won successive races at historic Royal Randwick with injury-prone discards Midnight City and Victorian, Approach the Bench.

Midnight City was Colbey’s very first winner. And Approach the Bench followed up winning at headquarters and then won the Wagga Wagga Town Plate, among the most prestigious race on regional tracks.

Colbey’s latest winner isn’t in that class but she’s smart enough for a country Class 3.

“Look, we haven’t made a final decision to come up with this mare, I’m holding off with the 57kg, all the rain and obviously the barrier because she’s only tiny but she’s all heart and going so well this prep,” Colbey enthused.

“Lately these races have been falling away with the bad weather, so we’ll wait and see.”

Back in 2007 the gifted ambitious Moruya girl was the racing equivalent of golf’s Cameron Smith when Midnight City and Approach the Bench won at Randwick and the latter the Wagga Town Plate.

“Both horses had ongoing issues, but if I could get them right they were still city grade, weighted out of country racing - when they gave me the right feel riding trackwork, why not Randwick?

Meanwhile, Howgoodisvegas discarded without a win by profile regional stables, has revived the training passions for Colbey who has returned to training after an extended break.

Eventually though COVID disasters, limited numbers, mediocre talent and impatient owners, Colbey decided to take time out. But she retained her racing passions riding her regular trackwork for Moruya training neighbours.

And then this season Colbey returned to training to revive then maidens, Howgoodisvegas and Last Quest. Riding them work, Colbey found lengths with both to win a Moruya double and the older mare kept thriving, putting on weight and progressing through the grades with natural speed.

On Saturday, Howgoodisvegas is lengthy odds where the track at present is a Heavy 10 with further rain predicted in Sydney over the next four or five days.

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