It was always the intention to target La La Loopsy at the Country Championship, even when she was trained by Leanne Aspros last season.

The five-year-old was prepared out of Aspros' Bathurst base until Aspros retired last year. La La Loopsy became Aspros' final starter and winner at Moruya on July 25.

Then a decision had to be made: who could get the job done with the mare? Dubbo's Peter Nestor got the job.

"It came down to me and Matty Dale, but I could train her for the Country Championship because Canberra got kicked out, so I got the nod," Nestor said. "This is the race Leanne thought she [La La Loopsy] could win, which is why she never left Bathurst [when Aspros had a Warwick Farm yard].

"I was the lucky one to get her for this preparation when Leanne called it quits and she came in great condition. I'm just keeping her together."

La La Loopsy had won two from four starts for Aspros, but Nestor says, "the best two runs of her career were her two defeats".

When the daughter of Raheeb arrived at Nestor's stable he put together a program to get into Sunday's Country Championship heat at Dubbo at her third start and keep her fresh for the final on April 1.

La La Loopsy has won at Cowra under 60 kilograms and Bathurst under 63 kilograms and both times had Mathew Cahill in the saddle because he was the chosen rider for the Dubbo heat, where she is the $2.60 favourite.

"I actually thought of putting a kid on last start, but I thought if you are good enough you will win for Matty and she gets a big weight drop into the Country Championship heat," Nestor said.

"He knows her well and hopefully he can get her into the final. If we get there it will be tough because Matty Dunn's horse [Perfect Dare] looked good winning at Grafton and the Goulburn and Scone heats look loaded.

"But this is a race everyone in the country wants to win now and that's why La La Loopsy came to me to win it."

Meanwhile, jockey Greg Ryan will be out to ride his 3500th winner on home turf at Dubbo on Sunday.

It would be fitting if Ryan, who has won the NSW country jockeys' title for the past 17 seasons, got to the milestone at Dubbo.

Ryan is sitting on 3499 wins for his career after winning on Ubatuba at Scone on Friday and has his usual full book of rides for Dubbo, including Coming In Hot for Peter Stanley in the Country Championship heat.

Race diary

Monday: Grafton. Tuesday: Moruya. Thursday: Wagga. Friday: Lismore, Quirindi. Saturday: Balranald, Gunnedah, Orange, Yass.

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