He's hoping his second trip, 16 years later, has the same result.

Cleary has Chaquinta running in the $150,000 listed race (2000 metres) as he looks for some black type for his five-year-old mare before she goes off to stud later in the year.

She's a $15 chance behind co-$5-favourites Goldstream and Cool Chap

He's got a winter campaign mapped out for the daughter of High Chaparral, which will culminate in the listed Queensland Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on July 8.

But first there's the Albury Gold Cup, a race Cleary's only ever had one runner in for one win - Meet The Stars won by about half a length in the 2001 edition.

"It was a horse called Meet The Stars, I think I was only about 24 or 25 when I won it ... and it's the only ever time I've ever been to Albury," he said.

"He was owned by the Governor General Sir William Deane. I leased him off Sir William Deane and he was one of my first horses I got going.

"I think I won about eight races with him. [It's] a happy hunting ground, I'm going back to get some of that lovely Albury money."

Canberra trainer Gratz Vella had set American Time for the Gold Cup, but unlike Chaquinta she doesn't like the mud so she'll go to Wagga Wagga instead.

Cleary has Wellington Boot winner Lucy Rose in the group 1 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday week.