After already contesting two heats, Hill will have one final through at the stumps when he takes his four-year-old gelding to Newcastle on Wednesday to contest the last of the qualifiers for this year’s $390,000 decider. 

The top three finishers in the heat will book their spot in the final field. Kembla trainers have already qualified six runners for the event which is held on day two of The Championships at Royal Randwick.

Hill is keen to further strengthen that local contingent with Brother In Arms, who has been hampered by unsuitably heavy tracks in his first two heat attempts at Hawkesbury and Kembla’s transferred meeting at Goulburn last week.

The son of High Chaparral is expected to receive a much firmer surface when he runs at Newcastle, with the track rated a good 4 on Tuesday and clear skies forecast on raceday.

Hill believes the dry surface will be pivotal.

“It is 100% the key,” he said.

“He doesn’t like wet tracks but we have been forced to go around on them because we have been doing our best to get a place if we could.

“It didn’t look like being anything else but wet tracks so we’ve been forced to.

“Had I known Goulburn would be heavy [we wouldn’t have raced there]. We were sort of waiting like everyone else.

“We would have more than likely scratched, but the Goulburn track was supposed to be good but then the rain followed.”

Brothers In Arms has fared far better on good and soft ground, including putting together two impressive wins last preparation at Kembla Grange. Those triumphs gave Hill the confidence to target the Provincial Championships in 2017.

“We were comfortable with where we sat last preparation and went to the paddock with the aim of coming to this series,” he said.

“We thought we would give him a crack at the heats with the hope of getting in the final.

“To this point it has all gone belly-up but we have got one more chance. We will roll the dice and see what happens.”

Brother In Arms was rated a $71 fixed odds outsider with the TAB for the Newcastle qualifier late on Tuesday afternoon.

Regular jockey Adrian Layt, who has ridden the gelding for his past three starts, will partner Hill’s hope again in the 1400m event.

Les Tilley trained Another Ann holds favouritism for the race at $3.50.

Mick Tubman, Paul Murray, Theresa Bateup as well as Robert and Luke Price will also make the trip to the hunter.

Bateup has Giant’s Daughter ($101), Murray has Direct Strategy ($21) while Tubman takes last start Bert Lillye Memorial Handicap runner-up Old Man Sam ($11).

The Price’s have Leami Astray ($11). The Provincial Championship Qualifier (1400m) will jump at 5.05pm.