The four-year-old finished fourth in the benchmark 78 handicap after being caught out wide for the duration of the race, with jockey Brock Ryan doing a good job to keep Sheriff in contention.

Luke Price said Ryan will retain the ride this weekend and he's confident the apprentice will lead Sheriff to another solid performance in Saturday's 1300 metre benchmark 72 handicap.

"He went super last week," Price said. "He had a tough run, but he pulled up that good, I'll back him up at Rosehill.

"You had to be on the fence or in the middle last week, but he still made really good ground and looked a winner there for a while.

"I'm really confident he can run well if he draws a barrier.

"He's won at 1300m there before, he drops in grade so he'll have to carry a bit of weight, but with the jockey's claim, he'll run well."

While you're with us the Illawarra Mercury is offering sport readers 20% off an annual digital subscription. Sign up to stay up to date with all the local sports you love for only $3.00 a week. Terms and conditions apply.