Story by AAP 

Last start winner Wealthy Lad will make a belated bid to qualify for next month's Winter Championship Final at Flemington.

One of Tasmania's headline gallopers, the four-year-old made a big impression winning his mainland debut at Sandown earlier this month and trainer Bill Ryan believes he now deserves a crack at next Saturday's sixth and final championship heat (1410m) at Flemington.

"We will just see what he is capable of," Ryan said.

"We will go to Flemington and run him in the heat and if he happens to win it then you would have to think about running him in the final given it is a $200,000 race."

Wealthy Lad has won eight of his 24 starts and only twice failed to manage a top five finish.

He was an exciting three-year-old who was an unlucky second in the Listed Hobart Guineas (1600m) and finished fifth in the Tasmanian Derby (2200m).

Last spring he won four races in a row carrying up to 60.5kg and was a close to second to Scenic Silver in the Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) before being poleaxed in the Devonport Cup.

Ryan initially planned to give Wealthy Lad three runs this campaign before a break and another attack on the Tasmanian carnival starting in November but is happy to extend his program by a run to incorporate the Winter Championship Final (1600m) at Flemington on July 4.

"He has already had two runs this time in and won both of them, but we will give him a go at this race on Saturday and see what happens from there," Ryan said.

"He's a pretty exciting horse and he will be a weight-for-age horse at home this year.

"He's quite solid and a lot stronger now."

Luke Nolen will ride Wealthy Lad again after scoring on him over 1300 metres at Sandown where he beat Arenti and Tictacs.

Only two Winter Championship heats remain with the other to be run at Ballarat on Thursday.

There are 24 nominations for the Ballarat division while 29 horses have been entered for the Flemington heat including top raters Sand Sweeper, Rok Posta, Stickpin, Jungle Ruler, Arenti, Famous Roman and Threedee.