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There will be no excuses from trainer Graham Hulm if Smakatus can’t fire in the Riverina Motor Group Open (1200m) at Wagga on Monday.

Smakatus, a winner at Sandown two starts back, heads into the feature race without having raced for six weeks.

Hulm likes to space the runs of Smakatus, but he said the lengthy break was more through the region’s wet season than anything else.

“he normally goes a few weeks between starts, but this time it’s because there has been no racing in the region for six weeks,” he said.

“He is up in class and only a small horse that has to carry a fair bit of weight.”

However, Hulm said the lack of racing and missing some fast gallops won’t be an excuse on Monday.

Every trainer in the region ahs been in the same predicament and Hulm feels Smakatus is close to his best.

His main concern is the weight and drawing close to the rails as Smakatus prefers to be out racing in the open.

“Barrier two isn’t a good draw for him because he could get cluttered up,” the Albury trainer said.

“When he won at Sandown he was able to wind up and that suits him.

“Wagga will suit him if he doesn’t get held up on the inside.”

Hulm has booked the services of Sydney apprentice jockey Blaike McDougall who he is a big fan of.

The trainer only prepares a few horses including stable star Lord Von Costa who has returned to training.

“I don’t start many and will have two in the trials as well,” he said.

“Smakatus has been a good horse all the way through. It’s tough for him with the weight because he still has to carry 59.5 kilograms on a heavy track.

“There have been no grass tracks to do fast gallops so you have to make do the best you can.

“I expect him to run well even though he hasn’t raced for a while.”

Smakatus has only been placed at two of his seven starts at Wagga and is rated a $6 chance.