Gifted pacer The Lost Storm will be "selling himself" when he returns to racing at Melton on Saturday night.
Connections of superstar four-year-old, who boasts 12 wins from just 17 starts, are desperate to snare a slot in the world's richest harness race, the $2.1m TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 7.
The Lost Storm ran in the TAB slot last year when just a three-year-old but was below his best, finishing seventh to stablemate Encipher.
While his talent is unquestioned, several slot holders have been wary with The Lost Storm having only raced three times since last year's Eureka and only once in the past seven months.
But owner-breeder Justin Baker said interest in The Lost Storm remained strong.
"We're deep in talks (for a slot)," he said. "There's no doubt the slot holders want to see him race and I'd hope we have a deal done in the next week or so."
So, winning Saturday night's Bold David free-for-all (2240m) from a perfect pole position draw will be crucial.
"He's been ready to race for a while, but it's actually been hard to find suitable races for him," Baker said.
"We were going to run him at the big Menangle meeting a few weeks back, but it turned out he wasn't eligible because he hadn't raced within 42 days of the race. It had been 44 days between starts.
"But this looks a good race. It's a free-for-all, but the draw is done on metropolitan class and because he's young and on the way, he had to draw well."
The Lost Storm opened a $1.40 favourite from his gun draw.
"He's raring to go. Emma (Stewart) is really happy with him," Baker said.
The Lost Storm's only run since last October came when he made a one-act affair of the $50,000 Group 3 Melton Plate on March 16.
Stewart and co-trainer Clayton Tonkin plan to take The Lost Storm with a growing number of stablemates to Brisbane for the rich Queensland Constellations carnival through July.
The $350,000 Group 1 Rising Sun – restricted to three and four-year-olds – will be The Lost Storm's key target.
Stewart and Tonkin won the race two years ago with their champion mare Ladies In Red.
Other stable stars likely to join The Lost Storm heading north include NSW Oaks winner Very Pretty, NSW Derby runner-up Bay Of Biscay, Australia's most exciting juvenile The Highlight Reel along with proven open-class stars Honolua Bay and Mach Dan.
Back to the TAB Eureka and Stewart and Tonkin are also aiming at the feature with Victoria Derby winner Petracca and the untapped High Above, a winner of four of his five starts.
More immediately, Victoria's dominant stable will chase some serious cash through all of the features at Melton on Saturday night.
Stewart and Tonkin have three finalists – Eureka Jo (gate five), Perpetuity (eight) and Vague Beauty (11) – in the $150,000 APG Gold Bullion final (1720m).
Their hopes rest with the ultra-consistent War Dan Buddy in the $150,000 colts and geldings' final.
Promising two-year-old Schwarz will carry their hopes from barrier one in the Sapling Stakes.