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By Ray Hickson

It’s all about the future for handy debut winner Sweet Warrior with trainer Keith Dryden keen to have her learn something at Nowra on Sunday before heading for a break.

Trainer Keith Dryden (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The three-year-old kicked off her career with a strong win on her home track and it was a long time coming after what unfolded in her first barrier trial over six months earlier.

Dryden, who co-trains with Libby Snowden, wants to send the filly around one more time this campaign in the Jim’s Blinds, Shutters & Awnings Handicap (1100m).

“She’s probably a bit new at the moment, we’re going to give her this one more run and put her back in the paddock,’’ Dryden said.

“She indicates that later on she might be okay but she’s been a work in progress.

“If you go back and look at her first barrier trial she took control of the rider and went to the outside fence.

“Instead of trying to persevere I started afresh with her and this time in she’s going along quite okay.”

Sweet Warrior, $2.90 with TAB on Saturday, led most of the way to her debut win, racing on the inside of a line of three, and rallied when headed.

She came through the run bouncing but the lesson Dryden wants to teach her is to not rush in her races as he feels she’ll be most effective over more than the 1000m scamper.

“Even though she won over 1000m I think she is going to be a 1400m horse in the end,’’ he said.

“I might just ride her back off the pace, I don’t mean way back, and teach her to settle and help get that extra ground a bit later on.

“If you keep rushing them up front they get into that habit.”

Advice from jockey Alysha Collett has encouraged Dryden to make some changes with Acheson as he seeks a return to the winner’s circle in the Fix Auto Shoalhaven Handicap (1400m) having scratched from Friday's Canberra meeting.

The five-year-old, whose last win was in August last year, will race in winkers and come back in trip after a couple of close fourths over 1600m.

“He’s been good but I think this is his distance,’’ he said.

“Alysha rode him at Goulburn over the mile and he went a bit hard, her suggestion was to change a bit of gear and drop him back so I’ve done that and we’ve put her back on. I think he will run well.”

The Canberra trainer trainer has his fingers crossed that Blue Bayou has her game face on for the Trustel & Outlook Constructions Handicap (1200m) after a disappointing last start effort at Moruya.

She’d been placed in three of her four previous starts and Dryden said she needs to be handled with kid gloves at home.

“She’s a difficult mare in that she’s a very finicky eater,’’ he said.

Sweet Warrior wins at Canberra on September 5

“My first job in the morning is to check her feed and she left two and a half dippers on Thursday night.

“You’ve got to be careful with her, if she gets to the races in the right frame of mind and feeling good and she’ll be competitive.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s Nowra meeting