After a year without a win, the big grey returned in style earlier this month on his home track, coming from the back of the field to storm home over 1000 metres in Class 5 grade.
Having won four from 19, with seven other minor places, Batters was finding it hard to place his son of Love Conquers All following the first-up triumph.
He has opted to have a throw at the stumps in the toughest grade Leroytheconqueror has faced yet in his career, the Listed Goldmarket at Aquis Park.
Batters’ stable apprentice jockey Brodie Moffat, who rides Leroytheconqueror in much of his work, believes the six-year-old gelding is loving life at Valdora.
Moffat is the son of veteran journeyman hoop Morgan Butler, who rode a winner at the Sunshine Coast last Sunday afternoon.
“He goes really good, he loves it out here being cruisy,” Moffat said of Leroytheconqueror.
“He is a lot calmer out here; I rode him a few times in at the track at Caloundra and you can tell he is relaxed and loves the view.
“I was stoked with his run the other day and to be in a stable like this and see the horses progress, it is amazing.
“This will be a tough race and test his limits, but his work and his feel lately, I think he stands a good chance.”
Moffat will often ride work at Caloundra early in the day before heading to Batters’ yard to finish his morning.
Retired champion hoop Jeff Lloyd remarked to Batters a few years ago that Leroytheconqueror would be a stakes-winning horse later in his career following a spin around on the grey.
All four of Leroytheconqueror’s victories have come on his home track at Caloundra and the grey gets his first look at the Gold Coast this week.
“He has come on really well since that race, he was really good first-up and just loves the Sunshine Coast,” Batters said.
“He will get back on Friday and run on like he does, he might be a bit fresher and handier second-up, which should help.
“He will know he is in a race with the type of horses that are set to go around on Friday, we understand that there is Alligator Blood and half a dozen really quality horses in this race.
“He is a tough bugger and will try his heart out, we know that.
“This is a big opportunity for him.”
In his usual racing pattern, the winner of almost $140,000 in prize money gets back and runs on late – something that Batters thinks has cost him a race or two over the journey as he is often finishing hard late but just falls short of grabbing the leader.
Jake Bayliss - another stable rider for Batters - has won twice on the grey as well as three other second-placed finishes and retains the ride this Friday.
In the gelding’s long-term plans, Batters is hopeful of sending him to Melbourne later this year for the greys race, which will be run on 2021 Melbourne Cup Day.
Renamed the Subzero Handicap in 2013 to recongise the achievements of the popular 1992 Melbourne Cup winner, the 1400-metre event - restricted to horses that are grey in colour - will move onto the ten-race program on the first Tuesday in November.