A big three days kicked-off on Monday, with Fliedner making the trip to Swan Hill with two runners, including maiden winner Inaminute.

Today he has headed to Benalla with in-form mare Hard Spark and promising four-year-old Defy.

His cup day chances rest with five-year-old mare Flying Spark in a benchmark 70 handicap (1000m) and Pray For Us in the closing event on the 10-race program over 1300m.

Fliedner, who has had a knack of landing winners on his local cup day, described both as “rough chances in hard races.”

“I hope they might be able to run a place for me,” he said.

“I’ve had a pretty good record on cup day, but I haven’t got the horses up and going this year that I have had in the previous years.

“The horses just haven’t been up at the right time, but that happens.

“It’s still nice to have a couple of runners and have some chance.”

Flying Spark will be second-up after a short spell and has a win and a third in his last two starts, both at Bendigo.

Fliedner’s cup week got off to a good start with Inaminute’s breakthrough win over 975m.

The four-year-old gelding showed signs of improvement when fourth at his previous start at Tatura on October 16 over 1100m and was able to win at his sixth start.

His 2.2 length margin filled Fliedner with confidence that there would be more wins in store for the son of 2009 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward For Effort.

“He trialed really well a month and was perhaps a little disappointing first-up, but we tweaked a few things with him and he did (on Monday) what we thought he’d do first up,” he said.

“Down the track he’ll be a nice horse, and a nice horse for the Bendigo Cup meeting next year.”