In what the Bathurst trainer describes as the biggest race of his career – and that of driver and partner Ashlee Siejka – Mega Alexander will have to overcome a tough barrier draw to win the rich event but Russo says he isn’t without a chance in the 3280 metre staying test.

“It does make it hard in a standing start race to go from the middle [gate 11] of the second row,” Russo said.

“It is his first full season in this sort of company and he is still adjusting to it, he is still not 100 per cent mature and I think this time next year he will be even better again.

“It takes 12 months to get used to racing at this sort of level.

“But I was happy with his run in the Bendigo Cup [fourth] and more than that I was really happy with his run in the Shepparton Cup [fourth].

“He was very unlucky and was held up badly in that race but still motored home.

“He was the only one making ground at the end and that’s why we decided we’d make the step up and take him on to the Hunter Cup.”

There are a handful of stars who would otherwise be likely candidates for tonight’s race who will instead be in Perth finalising preparations for the rich Inter Dominion series which gets underway on February 17.

Russo acknowledged that the horses he is up against are still top class, but knows that this is a good chance for him to break his Group 1 maiden.

“If the Inter Dom wasn’t on this field would be a lot stronger, there’s no doubt about that, but it is still a big race and there are some really nice horses running.

“It is a huge thrill for Ash and I to be in this company,” he said.

“I really think the Kiwi horses are very dangerous, there are a lot of them and Jaccka Clive [three straight wins] is absolutely flying at the moment.

“Highview Tommy was disgraceful in the Ballarat Cup but turned that around and ran brilliantly in Shepparton so he’s tough to beat, and Auckland Reactor is racing well too.

“He has had bad manners at standing starts in the past though so hopefully that might play into our hands a little bit.”

The Hunter Cup will run at 9.30pm.