Not since Natty Kiwi won the first two editions of the Ouyen Pacing Cup in 1960 and '61 has a horse gone back-to-back, but that's exactly what trainer Mark Watson will attempt to do this Sunday.

Watson's reigning champ Brallos Pass may well start favourite in the Greggs Electrical Ouyen Pacing Cup, with the seven-year-old Major In Art well-placed from a running line draw in what shapes as an even Trots Country Cups Championship leg.

"(Going back-to-back) is the plan," Watson told Trots Talk. "We've got a nice but tricky draw off the backline, but we should push through and Ellen (Tormey), she'll be able to position him reasonably close from there. He shouldn't be too far away."

Sunday will be Brallos Pass's fourth start since returning from a seventh-month lay-off, having placed in the Echuca and Wangaratta cups before a last start 11th at Melton.

"First up at Echuca, off three or four months off (where) he had a few little issues we had to deal with, we were happy enough because he got home in 55 and got beaten by 10 metres by a real nice horse (Sicario)," Watson said.

"After Echuca he had a little bit of a mishap, which cost us a couple of weeks and we missed Albury Cup, went to Wangaratta a little bit underdone.

"Young Abbey Turnbull did a really good job driving him and looking after him (at Wangaratta), there was a little bit of a scrimmage in front of us down the back which cost us. (I) don't know whether it cost us winning it, but we would have gone close."

Instead Brallos Pass ran third and then followed up with a last start 11th at Tabcorp Park Melton when he struggled to find a run amid congestion.

Watson said though the lead-in to Ouyen had been less than ideal, he was still "happy enough with him".

"He's still probably only 80 per cent right but he shouldn't be too far away on Sunday," he said. "Ellen will make the right moves at the right time and put him into the race at some stage. I think he will be close."

The trainer said he was looking forward to getting trackside and remained optimistic the industry could advance amid COVID-19.

"We have just got to be very careful and vigilant," he said. "I think HRV have got all the right moves in place to hopefully push us through this pandemic and hopefully we can come through the other side. If everyone just does their bit, short-term pain for long-term gain hopefully."

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