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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Nathan Doyle is content to give promising colt Hidden Motive a soft launch for his spring campaign at Canterbury on Wednesday to assess when he should step up to stakes level.

Hidden Motive won two of his five starts as a two-year-old, his final two runs for the season, and Doyle said there was no reason to rush him in against the three-year-old top liners.

So he kicks off in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1100m) with high hopes that he can notch a first-up win.

“We felt he probably needed his first-up run,’’ he said.

“When you take on older horses it’ll tell you whether or not you’re able to step up to stakes class, which I’m sure he can.”

The three-year-old, who carries the same colours as star stablemate Private Harry, has taken the improvement Doyle wanted to see into his new preparation.

Hidden Motive runs second in a Wyong trial on September 8

It was evident in his latest trial performance, where the colt was cruising on the inside of Shangri La Spring in a 1000m heat at Wyong just over a week ago.

“What we’ve seen this time in is he’s relaxing better in his trials and not getting up and going fiercely in the early stages which is good,’’ Doyle said.

“It’s something you want to see to run that 1100m-1200m right out.

“It was a super trial and the horse outside him was under pressure, he did it quite comfortably and he’s come through it well.

“Naturally he’s going to be on speed from a nice soft gate and we’re taking 2kg off with Braith Nock as well. We feel it’s a nice starting point for the preparation and we’ll see how he sits.”

Hidden Motive, $1.95 with TAB on Tuesday, won his two races last preparation on wet tracks and getting back onto a drier surface is something Doyle feels will be in his favour.

“The Capitalists tend to go better on top of the ground and he never got that opportunity last preparation so I’m keen to see him on a good surface,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Doyle says it’s all systems go for his unbeaten four-year-old Private Harry as he makes his season debut, and kicks off his TAB Everest campaign, in Saturday’s Group 2 $1m Yarraman Park Shorts (1100m) at Randwick.

Private Harry was $2.30 favourite in all-in betting with TAB in The Shorts ahead of Briasa and Joliestar, who also have TAB Everest slots.

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Canterbury meeting