Get It Gizmo, who finished third to Good Odds Harada and Shima Shine in the 2019 TAB Million Dollar Chase final after going into the race as fastest qualifier, is going as well as ever in preparation for his return to Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Get It Gizmo, who had box eight in his quickest 29.45s semi-final win last year, has drawn six in Saturday's seventh Chase Qualifier.
"He broke his hock in the Ballarat Cup on December 14 and was out of action until August,'' trainer Harry Manolitsis said.
"But the injury has not affected him at all and since returning he has had six starts for four wins and two seconds so is going great again.
"He has box six on Saturday night and while he can handle outside draws, Get It Gizmo will still need to come out smartly from there.''
Get It Gizmo is in the toughest of the eight Qualifiers, with Wallbanger in box one, last year's Chase winner Good Odds Harada in two and this year's Group 1 Vic Peters Classic winner Playlist in eight.
The draw favours Good Odds Harada, who has won seven of his 14 races from the two inside boxes and who looked back to his best with an impressively strong finishing 450m win at Bathurst last Monday.
Manolitsis also has Flynn in box two in the fourth Chase Qualifier but concedes the former crackerjack sprinter is probably past his best form.
"Flynn is drawn nicely in box two but has just recovered after tearing a back muscle and is rising four, so is not as good he was once,'' Manolitsis said.
Aston Stealth, whose trainer Glenn Rounds had Curt Lee in the 2019 Million Dollar Chase final, has box four but has won 10 of 29 Victorian starts and looks the one to beat in this, one of the weaker Qualifiers.
Christo Bale looked all class with a fast 29.78 trial at his Wentworth Park debut on September 26 and goes into Saturday's eighth Chase Qualifier boasting the outstanding record of 16 wins and 10 placings from 34 starts.
"Sydney trainer Simon Rhodes handled Christo Bale for me in the Wenty trial and he told me the dog seemed to get a bit lost in his first look at the track,'' trainer Mark Delbridge said.
"The experience should do Christo Bale the world of good and I'm not too concerned about him having box six on Saturday as he doesn't mind outside boxes.
"He can miss the kick occasionally but so long as he gets a clear run to the first turn, it's all up to him after that.''
Former Sydney trainer Anthony Azzopardi, who has rung up a succession of group race wins since transferring to Melbourne, has Aston Pilsner in box six in the first Qualifier and Short Pork in box four in the second Chase Qualifier.
"I'm happy with Aston Pilsner's wide draw because he always begins a lot better from outside boxes,'' Azzopardi said.
"He has good early pace and while he can run 520m he is not terribly strong at the finish, so I'm hoping he can lead.
"Short Pork had a niggling minor injury after finishing seventh at The Meadows on September 12 so I gave him a couple of weeks off and he has come back really well.''
Short Pork has won 20 of 48 starts but like kennelmate Aston Pilsner, has not seen the Wentworth Park circuit.
Junk Food Junkie's Wentworth Park experience could tip the scales in her favour in Short Pork's race, as she was runner-up to Fire On Ice in a heat of the group 1 Peter Mosman Opal at Sydney's headquarters on July 4.
She exited box one in that race and was second all the way, so looks well positioned in box two on Saturday night.
