Takookacod will step out over a mile for the first time in Tuesday's $27,000 Reece Group Wagga Wagga Ted Ryder Cup Prelude (1600m).

The five-year-old has only twice raced over 1400 metres, for midfield finishes, but will step up to the mile after a fourth placing over 1300m on Cup day at Wodonga.

Spackman has long held the belief that the mare will get a trip and a lack of other options meant that he gets to find out more in the feature at Wagga on Tuesday.

"There's nothing around. They're hard to place these horses. It's near impossible," Spackman said.

"I spoke to Noel (Penfold) about it and it's a situation where unless we can get a trip, we're wasting our time.

"I think the sprint has gone out of her and I've always had the feeling that ridden a certain way that she'd be able to get a trip. I've always thought she was a 1400 metre horse and this race always used to be 1400 metres. It's changed to a mile so we'll give it a crack and see what happens."

A positive performance on Tuesday will prompt Spackman to head towards the $32,000 Ted Ryder Cup (1600m) at Wagga on December 24.

"If she runs a good race, we'll look at it," he said.

"There is two options for her on the day. Freshen her for the 1200 or the Ted Ryder Cup. If she finishes the race off good (on Tuesday) then that will probably go that way. She might need the run over the mile to get the mile."

Takookacod has not won since her Wagga Town Plate Prelude (1200m) in April last year. She went on to run a cracking sixth, behind Coolring, in the Town Plate.

She underwent colic surgery during her break and has been unplaced in her nine runs since. In fairness, only one of those starts has been at an average country TAB meet.

Spackman is happy with how the mare is working at home.

"She's fine. I've got her as good as I can get her," he said.

"She's had colic surgery, a wind operation. Everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong with her.

"If she didn't have the wind op she wouldn't be with me. She'd still be with John Thompson, probably running in group twos and threes."

Spackman has seen enough in Takookacod's two first up runs to suggest she is not far away from a win.

She ran seventh in the $50,000 Snake Gully Flying (1000m) at Gundagai first-up and then was fourth last start in a Benchmark 70 Handicap (1300m) at Wodonga.

"I thought her first up run was outstanding. She really put in," he said.

"Her run at Wodonga, I thought she was the winner on the corner...but that run still wasn't that bad."

Spackman will also be represented by debutant The Codster in the Chris Heywood Racing Maiden Plate (1400m) and Rockopal in the Royans Wagga Maiden Handicap (1200m).

"Rockopal's was a good run first up," he said.

"She probably needs the run again. She's drawn bad, we'll ride for luck and see what happens but I've got a lot of time for her.

"The Codster is a half brother to O' So Hazy but is no O' So Hazy. His trial was ok but he's going to be more of a stayer."

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