Forty horses from across Australia – including Albury, Alice Springs and Normanton – will be hoping for a share of the spoils in Australia’s richest quarter-horse race at Buchanan Park.

Knudsen and her seven-year-old sprinter were successful in the race in 2012 and are confident, but wary of the opposition.

“Combining the fact that he hasn’t raced for two years and that we don’t know the strength of the opposition, we are taking a cautious approach to the race,” Knudsen said.

“He ran 11.54 seconds over the 200-metre two years ago to win it, so if we aim for that time we should be thereabouts again.”

Imported from New Mexico and now based in Taroom, Mojo wasn’t originally supposed to run, with Knudsen preferring his younger brother Seductive Fame.

“But we withdrew him because in the final stages of preparation, he had tenderness in his shins,” she said.

Mojo’s sprinter breeding helps with  preparation, said Knudsen.

“This will be only the second time he has run, as he does other events like shows when he isn’t racing,” she said.

“The individual sprint set-up suits Mojo, because then he doesn’t have to compete against anyone else.”

Only non-thoroughbred horses are allowed to compete from a running start in the 200 metre sprint race, kicking off at Buchanan Park tonight at 6.30pm.