Youbolt, which was formerly trained by the suspended Jarrod McLean, has been in O’Donnell’s Warrnambool stable for the past two weeks.

“I could not fault Youbolt’s condition when he came across to me a couple of weeks ago,” O’Donnell said.

“Jarrod had done a very good job with him. 

“I’ve just kept the horse ticking along as we were preparing for the Blank Sprint. He’s a good sprinter. He’s got to carry 58 kilograms and he’s not a big horse. That’s a bit of a worry, but I reckon he’s up to the challenge.”

The 52-year-old horseman, who was apprenticed as a jockey to late respected trainers John Lumsden and Jack Barling, has renewed acquaintances with Youbolt after pre-training the horse back in August 2010.

“Jarrod got Youbolt from a Melbourne trainer back in 2010. He asked me to pre-train Youbolt,” O’Donnell said.

“I can still remember he was a little fat thing with his tail chewed off. I pre-trained him for a few months. I knew he had a bit of ability. 

“I watched his career very closely after he went back to Jarrod. 

“He’s been a very good horse. I think Jarrod has won six races with him. 

“I reckon Youbolt has been two to three lengths away from being a top class sprinter.”

O’Donnell said Youbolt would probably head to the spelling paddock after running in the Thornton Family Peter Blank Sprint over 1132 metres today.

“I think I’ll send him to the paddock after today. It’ll be his third run in from a break,” he said.

“There’s not many other races there for Youbolt at this stage of the year. 

“He won the Palmerston Sprint in Darwin back in 2012 and I reckon it’s a race he could possibly win again. 

“He’ll need a good break before I get him ready for that race.”

Youbolt’s main dangers appear to be the Terang-trained Centuron and Hot Spin. 

Both horses are capable sprinters on their day.

The Thornton Family Peter Blank Sprint is scheduled to start at 3.36pm.