Ray Hickson
A first-up win was a positive sign to co-trainer Sterling Alexiou that Harry’s Evidence is starting to find his groove as a racehorse.
The five-year-old heads to Canterbury on Wednesday having scored over a trip Alexiou is confident is right at the bottom of his powers and showing a willingness to stretch the neck to win.
Harry’s Evidence steps up to a trip in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1250m) where Alexiou and Gerald Ryan feel he is well suited to handle a rise in class.
“He’s a bit of a quirky customer but he’s always had plenty of talent,” Alexiou said.
“It’s just been getting him to realise it and grow up a bit mentally.
“It’s more mental than anything, he was a bit inclined to overdo things early in his career.
“He wanted to go too hard and over race. He’s gone the other way and is relaxing really well, we’re looking forward to getting out over 1400m this preparation.”
That ability to relax was on show when Harry’s Evidence dropped into a trailing position in third in his resumption before he knuckled down and chased under 60.5kg.
What is noticeable out of that win is jockey Chad Schofield only pulled the whip on one occasion and Alexiou said the horse can often overreact to it so it’s rare a jockey will use the persuader on him.
“They went a good gallop, now he’s a bit older the 1100m is just a bit short of his best so I think the step out to 1250m will be good for him,” he said.
“There looks to be good speed engaged, he should get a nice run from a middle draw and he will be a winning chance again.”
Meanwhile, talented three-year-old Southend is set to kick off his spring in the group 3 Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
The colt won his first two, including the group 3 Baillieu, before finishing midfield in the group 1 Champagne Stakes.
Alexiou said Southend’s first two starts this campaign are locked in and then a decision on whether he tackles the Golden Rose.
“We’ve been really happy with him, he’s had two good solid trials for 1300m first-up,” he said.
“He’ll go to the Ming Dynasty then we try and work out where he sits in the pecking order.”