TONIGHT’S $12,000 Soldiers Saddle Final (2260 metres) at the Bathurst Paceway will pit most of the major Bathurst stables against one another in a heavyweight battle of sorts.

It won’t be all about the heavy hitters though.

Among the likes of Steve Turnbull and Bernie Hewitt, who have two finalists each, as well as Ashlee Siejka, Mark Butler and Pete Trevor-Jones will be Robbie Clifford, a trainer who’s stocks have been steadily rising over the last two years.

Clifford will line up on Is That So, a lightly raced gelding who has shown a lot of promise in his brief career to date.

He qualified by virtue of a third place in his heat last week, the first race back from a two-month spell for the son of American Ideal out of Tall And Tanned.

That effort was probably better than it looks on paper too, given that he sat four-back on the pegs and still managed to close to within 1.7 metres of winner Cuddle and runner-up Master Macca.

“Based on what he did in the heat, they’re going to know he’s there,” Clifford said.

“He ended up four-back on the fence which wasn’t part of the plan, but he finished very strongly and drawing gate one this time helps a lot.

“We might be three-back this time in a worst-case scenario, but they should run along at a good clip which will suit him. He gave up about a 20 metre start last week, so to get as close as he did was a huge effort.”

Among the stars the gelding will have to beat tonight are heat winners Tutu Bene Lombo (Butler), Cuddle (John O’Shea), Ireby Better (Kerry Anne Turner) and Karloo Ten Seventy (Peter Gavin).

Turnbull’s Master Macca looks like another major candidate with a pair of second placings sandwiching a win two starts back.

Is That So looks like being one of Clifford’s best performers yet in what is still a young training career, winning twice and placing four times in his 11 outings.

Of his five unplaced runs, four of them have been a result of galloping or not getting to the finish in one piece.

“He would be one of my best so far, and if he were able to pick up a win here it would be the biggest of my career as a trainer,” Clifford said.

“I set him specifically for this series, so when you do well in that situation I think it always makes it a bit more satisfying.

“In his last campaign we aimed at the Canola Cup in Eugowra and he did run second in his heat, but it was the slowest of them so he only made it to second emergency and didn’t get a run in the final.

“How far he’ll end up going? I don’t know. He’ll definitely get plenty of wins, how many I’m not sure, but he should improve as he gets older.”

Tonight’s final will run from 8.40pm.