Rarely has a midfield finish in the middle of winter inflicted so much torment on a trainer than the one belonging to Poetic Debate from her last visit to Sydney.

Poetic Debate ran fifth in a race on the Kensington track at Randwick last month when fourth would have been good enough to scoop trainer Jenny Graham and her owners a $100,000 windfall.

The mare returns to the scene of the lost opportunity on Wednesday with Graham confessing she is only just getting over one of the biggest near misses of her training career.

"When it looked like at one stage in the straight she might get the bonus I was actually thinking I couldn't be that lucky," Graham said.

"And I wasn't. But to be so close, yes it was a little bit heartbreaking."

Eliminating the sales bonus from the equation, Poetic Debate probably turned in the run of the race behind Foreign Prince and that makes her one of the better chances in the One Solutions Handicap (1300m) on Wednesday with James McDonald keeping the ride.

"I will say that James said the run was full of merit and that she was up to city class so that's why we are having another go," Port Macquarie-based Graham said.

For a $6,500 purchase, Poetic Debate is already punching above her salesring weight, compiling a record of four wins, four placings and almost $100,0000 in earnings from 12 starts.

Her Randwick opposition will include Coco Miss, the Canberra mare chasing her fourth successive win.

Ironically, Coco Miss is prepared by Matthew Dale, the trainer whose horse Royal Jackpot arrived late in the straight to beat Poetic Debate for the bonus.

The midweek meeting will be notable for the racetrack debut of another McDonald mount, Hay Presto.

Hay Presto is a three-year-old full-brother to the Group One-winning sprinter Hay List and he steps out in the Xblades Maiden Plate.

A recent Rosehill barrier trial placegetter, Hay Presto is expected to be better suited in races further than Wednesday's 1100m.