Nash Rawiller is confident a drop in class for Rainbow Styling can help him claim a rare stakes win riding for the Hawkes racing team at Gosford on Thursday.Sydney's premier jockey rarely rides for John Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his sons Wayne and Michael, but was thrilled to pick up the mount on Rainbow Styling in the Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2100m)."I actually won a Group Three race for him (John Hawkes) on Flavour when I was only young," Rawiller said."But that's about it."Rawill

Nash Rawiller is confident a drop in class for Rainbow Styling can help him claim a rare stakes win riding for the Hawkes racing team at Gosford on Thursday.

Sydney's premier jockey rarely rides for John Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his sons Wayne and Michael, but was thrilled to pick up the mount on Rainbow Styling in the Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2100m).

"I actually won a Group Three race for him (John Hawkes) on Flavour when I was only young," Rawiller said.

"But that's about it."

Rawiller's winning ride on Flavour came in the Group Three Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield in 1999.

Rainbow Styling was scratched from Saturday's Group Two Sandown Classic in Melbourne because of an unsuitable wet track and co-trainer Michael Hawkes said he would continue to monitor the weather before deciding whether Rainbow Styling takes his place at Gosford.

Weather permitting, Rawiller expects the gelding to really make his presence felt.

"It's a bit of a class drop from what he's been running in," Rawiller said.

"As long as he holds his form he should be a great ride in the race."

Rainbow Styling is second favourite at $6.50 in a wide-open TAB Sportsbet market, just behind race favourite Devils Arcade at $6.

Devils Arcade is one of two Gai Waterhouse-trained runners along with Kontiki Park.

Rawiller is stable rider for Waterhouse but both Devils Arcade and Kontiki Park are on the limit weight of 53kg which is too light for him.

"Usually if Gai has two in the race I'd be on one of them," Rawiller said.

"Neither of them have my weight and I'm rapt to have picked up the ride on Rainbow Styling."

Rainbow Styling arrived back in Sydney on Monday after a good Melbourne spring campaign.

The son of Zabeel won the Group Three Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on a good track before finishing second to Precedence in the Group Three JRA Cup (2040m).

He struck an unsuitable heavy (10) track when fifth in the Group Three David Jones Cup (2000m) and also struck rain when seventh in So You Think's Group One Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at his most recent run.

Gosford was rated a slow (6) on Wednesday with Michael Hawkes saying he would make a final decision on a start on race morning.

"It just depends on the track," he said.

"It's a nice race for him and all being well he'll be extremely hard to beat, but it really depends on the weather."

Group One winner Dealer Principal is equal topweight with Rainbow Styling on 58.5kg and at $7.50 is one of six runners under double-figure odds.

"He's the class runner of the field and the stable says he's going well," Dealer Principal's jockey Peter Robl said.

"If he can recapture something like his best then he's going to be very hard to beat."