Vella spent his previous 10 years based at Hawkesbury, but work has moved him to Oberon, and he’s brought his stable along for the ride at Tyers Park.

His self-declared top runner Bay Truffle will start a new preparation tomorrow in the Tulloch Cup (1,200 metres).

It’s an exciting time for Vella, who has been based at Tyers Park for less than a month.

Originally from Richmond, before moving to Hawkesbury, Vella has had the chance to work for some big stables and is hopeful that experience will pay off at his new home.

“I’ve been in the game for 10 years now. I started off at Hawkesbury down there with Scotty Singleton and he taught me pretty much everything I know in racing,” he said.

“I worked for Godolphin for a little while and Garry Frazer down at Hawkesbury. I worked for a couple of different trainers to get the hang of it and now I’m doing my own thing.

“I moved to Oberon for work breaking in horses and handling horses on an Arabian farm there. 

“As a hobby me and my wife, Simone, have them here to train them for a bit of fun and we’re just lucky we’ve ended up with a couple of nice ones.”

Bay Truffle and Wayfar Stranger are the only horses from Vella’s stable to reside at Tyers Park, with the remainder set to join them when they resume work.

Vella has previously had a handful of Bathurst starts to his name, but Bay Truffle’s run will be his first as a registered trainer in the city.

The four-year-old Venice Beach mare only raced twice last preparation for a fourth and a fifth.

Her run in the Tulloch tomorrow, however, will come against easier opposition and Vella said if his runner’s fitness is up to scratch then she should be considered a leading shot.

“It’s her first start back this preparation, so whether her fitness is there or not is the test for whether she wins or not,” he said.

“She’s probably the best horse in the race, though there are a couple there that go alright.

“First up over the 1,200m is a bit of a worry. 

“She’s had a quiet little jump out around here and she went super. She’s showing me the right signs at the moment and I couldn’t be any happier with her. I’m confident that she’s going to run a good race.”

Scratchings have gifted Bath-urst a second starter in the race with Peter Stanley’s Eurella Flight looking to bounce back from a disappointing eighth in her last start.

Tomorrow’s Bathurst Cup meeting will get underway at 1.27pm.

The Tulloch Cup will be the last event on the program at 5.39pm.