The 32-year-old Kialla horsewoman received the gelding from the Belinda McCarthey stable while in partnership with Stephen O'Donoghue in 2022 and has had to negate several issues since that time.

New Yorker has won three times since the shift to Victoria, but not since Bartley's move to become sole trainer of her own operation in recent months.

"He had a bit of trouble with his feet for a while there," she said. "It took us a good six months to get his feet back healthy. He had a couple of starts for us then had a spell.

"Since we got his feet better, he has been a happier horse."

New Yorker heads to Melton on the back of a fourth placing in a 1740m event at Wagga on February 23.

"He is working good, he is probably ready for the step-up," Bartley said.

"The longer distance will suit him better than the shorter."

New Yorker has drawn barrier one with the likely favourite, the Lisa Pitt-prepared Major Thinker, in gate four.

"I will most likely take the sit with him, he doesn't have overly quick gate speed," Bartley said. "He is not one I do too much work with out of the gate.

"I would assume Major Thinker will be the one to beat."

The son of Bettors Delight last saluted on November 17 at Bendigo. A strong run of form has seen the gelding place in four of his last six starts.

"He has just been racing really consistently lately. When he went to Wagga, he raced a Group 1 horse who he ran fourth to in Captains Knock," she said.

New Yorker has a bright future ahead of him, according to Bartley.

"Hopefully he is consistently running in metro races, keeps getting better and we will look at country cups," she said.

The Julie Douglas-trained Kosimo (eight) is the only horse on the second row in Saturday night's $17,500 event.