Source: Herald Sun, Adam Sherry

The Nathan Doyle-trained four-year-old has been impressive in winning three of his four starts and doing it solely on raw ability.

The son of Calyx won two of his three starts in his first campaign last autumn and winter with a Newcastle Maiden on debut and Kembla Class 1 Midway two run later.

He returned this preparation with an impressive run to dead heat with Bend The Knee on the Beaumont after only getting a late split between horse and dashing through the gap.

“He has come back the horse we thought he would this time in,” said David Dyson, racing manager for Nathan Doyle.

“His first preparation was very good and then he went to the paddock off a win at Kembla, albeit extremely narrowly over Aroha Stone.

“It was a very good effort to actually get up and dead heat at Newcastle first-up.

“He settled back a bit further than we thought he might but he was extremely strong running through the line.

“I didn’t expect him to be back third last around the Beaumont track and if you said to me at the 500 metres he can win from there, I would have laughed at you.”

The gelding steps up to midweek grade for the first time in the Exceedance Yearlings Handicap (1400m) where he has drawn nicely in barrier 5 with Ash Morgan to ride.

“With all due respect to Shannen (Llewellyn) who won on his at Newcastle, he’s not really an apprentices horse. He’s a tricky horse to ride,” Dyson said.

“Ash gets back on him this week and he had success on his last time in, riding him in both his wins.

“I don’t know if the Kensington is his track but it’s a race where he will definitely make his presence felt.

“Shannen picked her way through the field and he’s that type of horse, he doesn’t mind coming between them.

“It may well be that you have to ride for a bit luck on the Kenso and that would suit him.”

Lining up against Caltsar is stablemate Mornington Pier is resuming from spell with Josh Parr reuniting with the gelding.

The son of Pierro is a stayer who will be better suited when he gets up to 2000m later in the campaign but he has shown he can sprint well fresh with solid first-up record of a win and two seconds from four starts.

That win was last campaign at his debut for Doyle when he came from last, a long way behind tearaway leader Manwe on a heavy track over 1400m at Newcastle.

“His first-up win last campaign, you had to see it to believe it,” said Dyson.

“He was probably five or six lengths behind the second-last horse getting to the 800 metres with his ears scrubbed off him.

“Andrew Gibbons rode him on an extreme bog track and he kept grinding away. When the others stopped, he kept going.

“First-up over 1400 metres this time, he is going to need all the cards fall his way through the run because he is one dimensional but he does race well fresh.

“If they overdo up front, he will be very strong late.”

The stable also has Mercy Me in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1100m) but is no certainty to run after drawing the outside barrier.

“We has done a lot of work with her this preparation trying to get her to relax,” Dyson said.

“Nathan will look carefully at this race but she may be saved for another day.”