Pepper has two runners on Town Plate Day and four runners on Gold Cup Day with Avdulla partnering more than half the team.

“There is not a jockey in Australia riding better than Brenton at the moment,” Pepper said.

“He’ll ride four of my runners including Hill Spy, our stable’s hope in the Town Plate.”

Hill Spy will represent Pepper in the $100,000 XXXX Gold Wagga Town Plate (1200m) with the trainer offering a glowing report on the five-year-old’s prospects.

Hill Spy, formerly trained in Victoria, has run eight times for the Pepper camp scoring two wins and three seconds but his latest run gives him undeniable claims in the Town Plate.

“He won at Canberra then won the City Handicap at Albury so we took him to Adelaide for a Stakes race,” Pepper said.

“He was a bit slow out – as he always is – but finished very well.”

The race was the Listed Manihi Classic (1100m) at Morphettville and after being last (of 18) turning for home, Hill Spy finished fifth to Daytona Grey beaten just 1.9 lengths at $51.

“He’s a horse that we have now found the key to mentally and he’s going super. We couldn’t be happier with how he has been working and he should run a mighty race,” he said.

“He’ll get back but they usually go hard up front in the Town Plate so this will suit him down to the ground and I expect him to be right in the finish.”

Pepper’s other runner on Thursday is Marquee in the Hillis Motor Group Handicap (1600m) who will also have the services of Avdulla.