The Gotta Go Cullect filly has battled poor draws and her own bad manners in recent starts, but co-trainer Geoff Knight is much more confident this week, especially after she drew barrier 1.
The 3yr-old looked like a progressive filly when she won at her fourth career start in March before her season unravelled.
''She got average draws and then just for some unknown reason, she started to pull in her work just before her last start,'' Knight said.
That start, at Invercargill on June 2 after a short spell, proved to be forgettable as she finished a distant last in a 10-horse field.
''Drawing the second line was probably the undoing of her. She pulled her block off and choked down.
''We've made some gear changes - she's got the pacifiers on. From the one draw and the way she worked, if she bowled along in front she'd be hard to catch, I'd say.''
Tartan Trilogy, who joins Canderdel in the c1 2200m mobile pace, is a rough place chance from his wide barrier draw.
Knight and wife Jude have been forced to scratch Imperial Ace from race 10 due to filling in a leg, but Knight expects Sage to take advantage of a hot speed in front of her.
''If Uncle Ben leads - which he probably could do - Kirk's been unlucky with draws and he'll probably drive him quite aggressively,'' Knight said.
''If we can trail him or even be three-deep at worst, we're a big hope, because she's been really finishing off her races.''
Sage won five starts back and got her form line back on track with a fourth and a second in her past two runs.
''She's just matured and got stronger and more settled.
''She's become a really nice mare now.''
The Knights have three runners in the claimers series heat, although their unofficial numbers swelled over the past week to five.
The Knight-trained runners Lionels Meddle, Cullen's Finest and Hi Gun have been joined by the Ross Wilson-trained Jerry Fitz and the Eion Latimer-prepared Vic N Art for a change of scenery.
Knight said the pair have enjoyed the fresh training regime.
''All they've done is canter on the straight-line track and they've been ridden every day up into the hills.
''They both came back today and for the first time, they've been charging and kicking and bucking in the paddock.''
Knight rates Lionels Meddle, who drops back to claimers after several runs in tightly-assessed classes, as the stable's top chance in the race.
''He's always had unsoundness issues. He's OK but there's always a question mark over his legs. He would be the hardest to beat on form and in order of barrier draws and form, Hi Gun and Cully [Cullen's Finest] would be right there.
''There's no driving instructions. It's every man for himself and they all know their horses. But just on the class factor, Lionels Meddle will be the one to beat.''
