First city test for debut winner Alsvin
Trainer Shea Eden believes Alsvin is still a work in progress but is ready to take the next step when he makes his city debut at Sandown.
The three-year-old will have his second start on Wednesday in the Chandler Macleod Handicap (1200m) after winning an 1100m-maiden at Sale on October 29.
“I was pretty happy with him going into that run at Sale and he’s a horse I earmarked quite early as a really progressive horse,” Eden said.
“I thought he was pretty green that day.
“When he got to the front he looked around and just did a bit wrong so we’ve gone with winkers tomorrow just to help him concentrate.
“He’s a horse I’ve got a lot of time for. I think he’s certainly going to measure up to better races.”
Wednesday’s benchmark-64 race for three-year-olds includes four horses in the field of 10 who are coming off debut wins.
Alsvin is on the second line of early betting at $6 behind the Aaron Purcell-trained Grand Crown ($5) who won his maiden at Warrnambool this month.
Nikita Beriman, who rides Alsvin in trials and trackwork, again takes the mount.
“From barrier five we’ll probably let him find his feet and settle where he’s happy,” Eden said.
“He’s got a beautiful fluent action so I think the track at Sandown will really suit him and his last piece of work suggested he could go there and be very competitive.
“What he’s doing now, he’s still a bit raw so there’s plenty of improvement to come.
“There’s been glimpses of a really nice horse throughout the time we’ve had him. So my gut feeling is he could really develop into a nice horse.”
Eden says Alsvin may press on for at least one more start this campaign but he will be guided by Wednesday’s performance and how he comes through the race.
“After tomorrow we might even be thinking about the autumn,” the trainer said.
“We’ll just get through the run tomorrow and make some decisions.”