Jockey Regan Bayliss is itching to see what lightly raced four-year-old Kibou can do when he stretches out to a mile but is confident he can kick off his Golden Eagle campaign on a positive note at Randwick on Saturday.
Kibou will be the centre of attention when he resumes in the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1200m), which will be just his second start in 12 months.
Regan Bayliss said it's been frustrating that the gelding has hit setbacks at vital stages in that time and can only hope it's smooth sailing this spring.
"We haven't been able to get any continuity, we've been confident all along once he gets out to a mile he'll be at his best but he hasn't been able to get there,'' he said.
"If you look through his form last spring he put paid to Golden Mile in the Up And Coming and he's beaten Osipenko.
"Saturday is a kick off point but we are excited as he gets into his preparation for him to step up to a more suitable trip and that's when you'll see him at his best."
A knee injury after his runaway Up And Coming win last year ruled Kibou out of the Golden Rose and saw him spend an extended time on the sidelines.
He resurfaced for what was planned to be two start winter cameo with a narrow defeat at the hands of Iowna Merc, giving that horse 4kg, over 1200m at Randwick in June.
A respiratory issue caused his scratching from Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's planned second start and it forced them to start again.
Bayliss said all indications from his two trials and looking at the horse are that he's in a good space and ready to start the journey toward the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) on November 4.
Kibou jumps from gate two and was $2.15 favourite with TAB on Friday, and $26 in the James Squire Golden Eagle market.
"I think he's come up in great order, I couldn't be happier with where he is at the moment,'' Bayliss said.
"The 1200m is short of his best trip, I think he is going to be a really good miler when he gets there but he's got the class to get it done.
"He usually jumps well so it's important to get him into a rhythm and he'll be hard to beat."
Boom import Just Fine was supposed to be partnered by Bayliss when he scored an easy win at his Australian debut two weeks ago but a fall on the Wyong Cup meeting a day earlier forced him to miss the mount.
He watched on as the gelding scored over the mile but is rapt to have the ride in the Group 3 $250,000 James Squire Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
Just Fine, formerly owned by His Majesty King Charles III, assumed favouritism for the Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) on the back of that win.
"Unfortunately I had that fall at Wyong and I was lucky I came out okay, I'm really happy Gai and Adrian put me back on him,'' he said.
"He's a pretty nice horse, most of his trials were very good and I expected something like that but everyone was surprised in the manner he did it being first-up.
"He was only going to improve off that and I think 2000m is going to be better."
Regan Bayliss on Mazu (race 8): "He's a very good sprinter and all last preparation, although winless, he was right on the heels of the best sprinters we have. His trials look great and it wouldn't surprise me if he put his hand up, keeping in mind his target is the Everest."
