Rodger Waters will send Lumber Dream to Rosehill over the Ted Ryder Cup Prelude at Wagga

Lumber Dream will contest Saturday's $120,000 TAB Highway Class Three Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday, a race Waters has opted for over Wagga on Monday.

Lumber Dream also accepted in the Ted Ryder Cup Prelude (1675m) at Wagga, where he opened the early $3.40 favourite.

But the riches of the Highway Handicap have won out, despite jockey Regan Bayliss and Lumber Dream being tasked with the outside barrier at Rosehill.

"At this stage we'll go to Sydney," Waters said.

"(The barrier) doesn't help but he'll get back anyway.

"I reckon there will be a heap of speed on, they should spread out, my only concern is that he might just get too far out of his ground."

Lumber Dream has proven a great purchase for connections, who picked the Snitzel gelding up after two winless runs for Kris Lees.

He has record three wins and five minor placings from 13 starts for Waters and connections, highlighted by a win over 2000m on Wagga Town Plate day earlier this year.

A win over 1600m on Goulburn Cup day last start proved the five-year-old has come back well this preparation, despite having little luck.

"We've been a bit unfortunate," Waters said.

"His mission this preparation was that 1800m Highway about a month ago but because the meetings that got washed out, I think we would have nearly been going into it with one run under our belt. We had to abort plans and that's why we went to Goulburn instead.

"He was supposed to run in the Hair of the Dog (at Gundagai). When we went to saddle him up, he stood on the shoe and pricked himself. It was just unfortunate."

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Despite the wide gate and five weeks now between runs, Waters is happy with Lumber Dream.

"That was a good win at Goulburn the other day," he said.

"The horse that ran second ran second in a Highway at his next start and is probably one of the favourites (on Saturday).

"They normally go hard in Highways. It looks like there is a bit of speed in the race, irrespective of whether it is a Highway or not, there is a few that go forward and go hard so I imagine they'll roll right along and it's just a matter of how far back he gets."

While it will be Lumber Dream's first crack at a Highway, they are no stranger to Waters, who finished third in a 2018 edition with Where's Pippa.

"They're a great innovation but they are hard to win. They are good form races," he said.

A busload of connections will make the trip to Rosehill to cheer on Lumber Dream but Waters won't be one as he recovers from a bout of COVID, leaving Jack in charge.

Pending how Lumber Dream fares, Waters will push towards the Wagga meeting on December 23 for either the Ted Ryder Cup (1600m) or the Benchmark 66 (2000m).

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