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By Ray Hickson

A chorus of Sweet Caroline wouldn’t be out of place if lightly raced galloper Neil adds to trainer Matthew Dunn’s TAB Highway (1000m) haul at Gosford on Saturday.

The Murwillumbah trainer has made a habit of picking the right horse to target Highway races, he’s done it 44 times with success so far, and he says the four-year-old has been aimed at the race since his last attempt prior to Highways going into recess for the carnival.

Evidently there is a Neil Diamond fan among the gelding’s owners – he’s out of a mare called Diamond Fund - as he’s named after the crooner whose enduring hit is a staple of TAB Everest Day.

Neil has had two Highway starts for a win at Randwick in August and a second behind Brave Xena at the same track in February.

Trainer Matthew Dunn (Pic: Grant Guy).

“He was good in Sydney last time when he probably bumped into one bit better than him but he might be a bit better than most Highway horses too,’’ Dunn said.

“He’s starting to put it together, it’s taken him a while but he’s starting to get consistency and is racing more tractably.

“He’s ironed out his chinks and his racing is reflecting that. He goes forward, drawn a good gate, Nash (Rawiller) on, plenty of policies.”

It’s been a month since Dunn sent Neil, $2.40 with TAB on Thursday, around in a 1000m Class 3 at Eagle Farm where he carried 60kg and ran fifth.

He said that was a run the horse had to have and he’s presented with a more favourable map in a race that appears to be well within his range.

“He drew a bad gate and we tossed around the idea of not running him but we had this race in mind and needed a fill in run, and he was a victim of the barrier,’’ he said.

“He’s in good shape, he’s trained on really well and looks as good as I’ve seen him.

“I thought when he went up so short there must be a lack of depth in the race.”

Neil's two Highway performances have come on wet tracks but Dunn said the drier conditions at Gosford aren’t of any concern to him.

“He’ll put himself in the first couple, depending on how quick they go,’’ he said.

“It’d be nice to have one to follow into the straight but if Nash decides to go forward and lead on him it won’t be the end of the world.”

Dunn is likely to be represented in next week’s TAB Highway (1600m) at Scone with Moon Sweeper, a last start second over a mile at Eagle Farm, as he closes on 50 wins in the weekly country race.

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