The Joanne Hillis-trained gelding looked like a galloper on the rise as he jumped through the grades last year, winning four of his nine starts and taking his rating from 46 to 90 in fourth months.
The Handsome Ransom 5yr-old has trained on well since his fifth behind Conscious Mistake at Winton two weeks ago, but Hillis is being cautious at this stage even as he sits at 18th on the order of entry for the Coupland's Mile at Riccarton on November 13.
''He's working quite well [but] I think when he was crook [with salmonella in August], that knocked him around a wee bit and it's taken its toll a little bit,'' Hillis said.
She was heartened by his recovery after Winton and hopes that is a sign of things to come following Saturday's race over 1400m.
''He didn't fall away or anything - he was pretty full of himself afterwards. To be fair, I don't think he really knew he'd had a race.''
A wide draw made life difficult for Ridley at Winton, forcing jockey Shankar Muniandy to settle near the back of the field over 1200m.
Hillis described the jostling for position at the top of the straight as though there was a farmer draughting sheep in to a yard.
''It's a shame they all went for the same gap,'' she said.
A handy draw of barrier 4 will give tomorrow's jockey Jamie Bullard more options, although Ridley does not tend to be the first out of the barriers.
''Some days he's surprisingly away all right, and other days, he's a bit slow away. He goes with them, but he doesn't pick up momentum sometimes.''
Ridley's next move following Saturday's run will depend on his final 200m.
The $250,000 mile at group 2 level still remains the ultimate goal, although Hillis is wary of the next round of withdrawals next Wednesday, and the possibility Final Touch might be a late acceptor.
''We've come this far, so I guess it is the target, but if it's not meant to be, then there are other options.''
''There's a 1400m on the last day [of the New Zealand Cup carnival] but it's probably getting to the point where that's his fresh-up start [distance] but we'll just play it by ear.
''This run will be the decider. It'll leave us wondering or make us feel that we're going good.
''I'll be happy with a really good run, and the horse feeling pretty sprightly afterwards.''
Ridley is joined in the $25,000 open handicap by fellow Wingatui-trained gallopers Ric O'Shea and Chapel Star.
Ric O'Shea flew late for second in the same race as Ridley at Winton, while Chapel Star was a worthy fourth, half a length behind Anzac Star over 1100m at Wingatui in late September.
