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By Ray Hickson

There’s a pensive side to lightly raced four-year-old Let’s Go Brandon that trainer Wayne Hudd has slowly seen change as he’s gathered experience to the point of earning his TAB Highway (1200m) debut at Rosehill on Saturday.

Let’s Go Brandon didn’t have his first official trial until the end of February and the Goulburn trainer said he’s always been a work in progress – but that progress can be measured in his race record.

The gelding will chase a hat-trick, following wins at 1000m and 1100m at home, in what Hudd concedes will be his biggest test.

“He was a bit of a hard going horse when he first arrived and my partner rides him all his work and she’s got him going well,’’ Hudd said.

“He was a bit of a worrier to start with and now he’s starting to cope with racing, there’s a lot of good signs.

“A couple of times after a trial or a race at home if it was early in the day he’d walk the box for the rest of the day, it’d really rattle him but now he’s coping with it all.”

He kicked off his second preparation, following a debut second back in March, running fourth at Canterbury behind Secure then notching his maiden win on May 8 and jumping to Class 2 to score just over a month later.

Let's Go Brandon wins at Goulburn on June 13

Apprentice Dale Cole, who claimed 4kg, has partnered Let’s Go Brandon to his two Goulburn wins and given he’s not yet ready to ride in town Jay Ford will take the reins at Rosehill.

Hudd said it’s not clear yet what level the horse could reach, he could develop into a Country Championships contender in 2026, but first he has to run 1200m at Highway level.

The son of Super One, $15 with TAB on Friday, has known nothing else but to lead in his races and while Hudd believes he doesn’t have to lead it may not be the time to try something new.

“He’s getting better as time goes, he’s only had the four starts, but he has good toe,’’ he said.

“He has a tendency to roll, you’d just like to see him get there and do it under his own steam without wanting to do it so hard.

“I just hope it doesn’t bring him undone first time at the 1200m. I honestly think he will get 1400m but we will learn a lot.

“He has that high cruising speed and in his Goulburn wins they’d come out of the pack to come at him but nothing has run past him yet.

“My biggest fear is he’s been in for quite some time and it’s got to come to an end somewhere but he has the ability to test them.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting