A country environment is proving just the tonic for the well-travelled Friday Creek who will put his Epsom Handicap credentials on the line in the Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill.The seven-year-old resumed with an upset win in the Concorde Stakes last month, his first victory since taking out the BTC Sprint at Doomben more than two years ago.Friday Creek has been prepared by some of the country's top trainers throughout his career and was with David Hayes before being transferred to Anne-Maree Rob

A country environment is proving just the tonic for the well-travelled Friday Creek who will put his Epsom Handicap credentials on the line in the Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill.

The seven-year-old resumed with an upset win in the Concorde Stakes last month, his first victory since taking out the BTC Sprint at Doomben more than two years ago.

Friday Creek has been prepared by some of the country's top trainers throughout his career and was with David Hayes before being transferred to Anne-Maree Robinson earlier this year.

Robinson might not be a household name but she has been around horses all her life.

A daughter of the late Kevin Robinson, himself a renowned horseman and trainer of both trotters and gallopers, Anne-Maree is based at Shoalhaven Heads on the NSW south coast alongside brother Terry who has Ledger entered for a ratings race at Rosehill on Saturday.

Friday Creek's Concorde Stakes victory was Robinson's biggest win to date and she credited a combination of his rural training environment and some chiropractic work as the keys to his rejuvenation.

"He had a few niggling problems with his back and the chiropractor has done a lot of work with him," Robinson said.

"But mainly it's the environment here, he's loving it.

"He is a different horse to work with from when we first got him until now."

Friday Creek does the bulk of his fast gallops on a nearby beach and Robinson mixes up his routine by taking him swimming in the river.

The property she and Terry train out of at Shoalhaven Heads was a former riding school which was bought by her father and transformed into the complex it is now with a 600m trot and canter track, day paddocks, yards and boxes.

While Friday Creek is a relatively recent acquisition for Robinson, who has just one other horse in work, she does have history with the gelding.

She used to ride his dam, Candles, in all her trackwork when the mare was prepared by her father and said there were similarities between mother and son.

"Friday Creek has a beautiful nature like Candles had and he's got a turn of foot which she had too," Robinson said.

Friday Creek will have to rise to another level on Saturday with the likes of his former John O'Shea-trained stablemate Racing To Win and Group One winners Mentality and Mr Baritone among the nominations for the Theo Marks.

Robinson says a good draw will be pivotal to his chances.

"You've got to respect the opposition, it's a much tougher race this time," Robinson said.

"But I've just got to concentrate on my horse and I know he has done well.

"We'd love to draw a gate and then you don't have to do as much work, you just lob.

"It's important to this horse because he needs some cover."

Peter Robl has stuck with Friday Creek after partnering him to his first-up win and if he measures up on Saturday he will head towards next month's Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick.