Onthelookout is a consistent horse for connections, rarely failing to bring a home a pay cheque in the races he competes in.

He’s ran a place in half his 30 career starts but he’s just struggled to go to that next level with just the five wins.

Tomorrow he gets a start against Listed company in the Civic Stakes at Rosehill Gardens and while it’s a step up in grade, it’s a race he thoroughly deserves to be in.

To prove himself as a genuine black type runner though he needs to continue his strong performances against this company as well.

Among a host of contenders include Takeover target Stakes winner Title, former Group 1 champion Snipers Bullet and his own last start conqueror Little Surfer Girl.

Little Surfer Girl is considered to be one of the top chances tomorrow and Onthelookout’s trainer Barbara Joseph takes confidence out of that fact her horse was only a length away last weekend.

“(The Civic Stakes is) very competitive, it’s a very strong race, I was hoping the rain would come and Little Surfer Girl would get scratched,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter if she’s in or out we’re definitely going to start.”

Onthelookout travelled beautifully last weekend and when a rails run opened up for him at the top of the straight he looked the winner.

He peaked on his run though, something Joseph says the jockey will need to be aware of.

“He has only got that short sprint, 200m or 250m at the most,” she said.

“He needs cover, he needs to get in and then get out.”

Another thing he needs is a bit of early speed out front and that’s one thing that should be in abundance tomorrow.

“I’m sure there will be with a quality of race like this,” she said.

Joseph has also changed a tune when it comes to ideal weather conditions as well.

In the past a late downpour probably would have signalled the end for Onthelookout but she now thinks he’s not so bad in the wet after all.

“I used to scratch him on heavy tracks but I had a look at his stats and he’d run three thirds on heavy tracks to the likes of Scared Choice and Border Rebel,” she said.

Not only that, the horse’s last win was just two starts ago on a very heavy track at Royal Randwick.