Mornington trainer Jerome Hunter has always held a healthy opinion of Our Redente who is set for his second-up outing at Caulfield on Saturday.
Our Redente heads to the Stow Robotics Handicap (1400m) after flashing home for second in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on December 2.
Hunter was not surprised by the $31 shot's first-up run that day, but it showed the trainer that Our Redente had recovered from a virus that not only affected the gelding but the majority of the stable.
"Usually, my horses are winning or are competitive," Hunter said.
"We took a couple favourites to Sale, and they went terrible, and I knew that wasn't my horses.
"So, we turned them out. We put the racehorses out and worked on educating our two-year-olds and when it was time, we brought the other horses back in.
"He (Our Redente) came in superb. His trials had been good, and I was looking forward to seeing what he would do in that race and what he had shown. I thought he would be competitive."
Hunter did not have a runner for three months in early spring but since the start of November has produced four winners from 14 starters, including a double at Traralgon last Sunday.
What Hunter wants to see from Our Redente is transferring his winning form on soft ground to tracks without that give.
"He's trained on well since that first-up run, but there's still a question mark, is he just a wet tracker," Hunter said.
"In the Doveton Stakes, there was a lot of horses that were wet trackers and he still beat them, so I don't think he had the advantage on them.
"It's now just whether he can show that form on a dry track which is what we'll find out on Saturday."
A positive performance on Saturday is likely to see Hunter set Our Redente for the new Saturday meeting at Geelong on January 6.
"He's won over a mile at Ballarat, and there's $300,000 race at Geelong over 1700 metres next month," Hunter said.
"That race will be tagged for him, but we'll just wait and see how he goes on Saturday first."