The five-year-old heads to Kembla Grange on Saturday for the TAB Highway (1400m) at what will be his second last run before Smith sets his sighs on the Central Districts Country Championships on his home track at Mudgee, run on February 26.

He ran third in that race in the 2022 series and received a late call up to run in the Final, when the first and second horses were ruled out through injury, and he finished midfield.

Smith is quietly confident he has Lockdown Gamble well placed to produce the best run of his spring after a close up fourth behind To The Nines in a 1400m Highway at Rosehill two weeks ago.

"I'm very happy with his return, especially last start,'' Smith said.

"His first trial, while it looks a worry on paper was just a track gallop for us with the everything happening. There was improvement off his second trial and 1000m was too short for him first-up.

"I really like the way he hit the line the last 100m in that Highway, he's going super.

"He always takes a couple of runs to come to hand, he's really starting to peak now. He's bursting out of his skin and I expect further improvement. With a decent draw we'll be leading or box seating and getting the gun run."

Lockdown Gamble, $12 with TAB on Thursday, was jumping from the 1000m of his first-up run at Dubbo straight to 1400m at Rosehill and as Smith mentioned he was strong late.

The gelding has drawn barrier four and Smith said it's a huge bonus that Glyn Schofield has had experience on the horse from his last start.

"He can be a difficult horse to ride, Glyn knows the little tricks to him now so not only does he improve in fitness Glyn has had that steer on him,'' he said.

"He kept his composure in the mounting yard the other day. That was the best part about him two weeks ago because he was really chilled out and raced a lot better."

If Lockdown Gamble wins at Kembla, Smith will send him to the $75,000 Mudgee Cup (1600m) in two weeks. If he doesn't there's another Highway at Rosehill a day later before a freshen up for the Country Championships.

"We'll have more of a focus on the Championships this time, he was thrown in the deep end coming through the grades but he kept stepping up to the mark,'' he said.

"We want to plan the path a bit better. This time around we've come in a month earlier than where we were last year and he was at the end of his preparation for the final.

"Matty Cahill was rapt in his performance in the Final. He lost the plot in the mounting yard and struck a fair bit of trouble between the 600m and 300m, he should have finished a couple of lengths closer."