That made the “debacle” at the Central Districts qualifier at Mudgee last month all the more disappointing.

In some of the worst conditions seen in racing, the event went ahead and in torrential rain it was outsiders Cosmologist and Noel’s Gift which finished first and second and advanced to the $500,000 Country Championships Final.

Crockett’s Ori On Fire, a $4.80 chance that day, ran third but the trainer almost immediately announced the promising four-year-old would be headed for this weekend’s Wild Card event at Muswellbrook.

The Wild Card offers one last chance to make the final and is open to all horses who contested a qualifier but failed to finish first or second.

“He’d been performing quite well and after that debacle at Mudgee we thought we’d been aiming him at this for 12 months so we thought we’d take that second shot,” he said.

“The Wild Card might not be the best way for him, or most horses, to get through. You need a certain type.”

The reason Crockett says that is because the $500,000 final at Royal Randwick is contested just six days after the Wild Card.

“He has backed up before. He won his maiden on a quick back-up,” the trainer said.

Crockett and Ori On Fire aren’t the only hopes from this region which will contest the $50,000 event at Muswellbrook.

Fellow Mudgee-based trainer Mack Griffith will be in action with Most Exalted, who ran a disappointing seventh behind Cosmologist as a $4.20 favourite last month.

Two others who contested the Central Districts heat will also race at Muswellbrook. They are the Dennis Bush-trained Molasses and David Smith’s Stilettoed Vixen.

Loves A Hassle, trained at Orange by Lee Van Den Bos, is fourth emergency however there had already been two scratchings by Thursday morning.

The race also features Don’t Give A Damn, the Danny Williams-trained gelding which was a raging favourite for the entire Country Championships series before running a disappointing tenth in his heat at Goulburn.

“The race is a hard one but they’ll know he’s there,” Crockett said of Ori On Fire.

Jeff Penza will ride Ori On Fire on Sunday after winning a trial with him at Bathurst on March 20.

That 1000m trial was run at a fairly quick pace after reviewing it Crockett feels the 1280m distance of the Wild Card will suit Ori On Fire, while the fact he’s going from barrier two is “perfect” due to the gelding’s early speed.

“He’ll run very well and he’s drawn ideally,” he said.

“Having said that, Danny Williams’ horse (Don’t Give A Damn) is as good a thing as you’ll ever see but they did say the same before the Goulburn race so anything can happen.”

While the focus is on this weekend, Crockett is excited for the future with ‘Ori’.

“It’s been a 12 month preparation and after this we’ll give him a little break, unless he wins and then wins the final,” Crockett laughed.

“But we’ll probably give him a break and then work towards the same preparation next year.”

The Country Championships is a chance again next year for Ori On Fire, who has had 10 starts heading into Sunday, but Crockett said he will still race him in Highways and metro events and keep him working through the grades, due to the promise he has shown.

“It would be stupid focus all your time and energy on one race because it is 12 months out but if we can pick up a win or two along the way then so be it,” he said.

The Wild Card jumps at 4pm on Sunday.

Crockett also confirmed stable star Nictock, who has seven wins from nine starts including success at Canterbury and Warwick Farm, will trial this weekend with one eye on the Wellington Town Plate on April 8.