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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Sara Ryan admits the impressive first-up win by Aix En Provence could do nothing else but raise her expectations for the preparation ahead and his assignment at Randwick on Saturday.

The lightly raced four-year-old surprised Ryan with his dominance, not necessarily that he won, when he resumed with a runaway heavy track win under 61kg at Newcastle two weeks ago.

While he was a little inconsistent in his summer campaign she says he’ll get the chance to back up that fresh performance in the Midway Handicap (1600m).

“I think the penny’s just dropped for him, he’s a mature horse now and he’s come back knowing his job,’’ she said.

“I expected him to run well, I didn’t expect him to run that well. I would expect him to be 78 grade if not improving past that this prep.

“He’s so pliable and tractable now and so easy to ride, and he gets a beautiful run on paper on Saturday.”

Aix En Provence, $8 with TAB on Thursday, has only been tried beyond the mile once and that was at the end of his winter preparation this time last year.

Aix En Provence wins at Newcastle on June 7

Ryan said she sees him as a smart 2000m horse in the making especially given how well he settled in his first-up win and isn’t concerned about the drying surface.

“I don’t think it is a question mark at all,’’ she said.

“The good thing about him is he gets through the wet whereas some horses don’t but he can also run on top of the ground. He doesn’t like roads but it’s not going to be a road.

“I’ve always seen him as a 2000m horse we’ve just been teaching his craft to get him there.

“He looks great, he’s acting how I would expect him to act and how he normally does when he’s ready to fire.”

Import Salt Lake City punched well above his $201 starting price when he ran fifth behind Loch Eagle two weeks ago and Ryan hopes he doesn’t give Braith Nock as torrid a ride as Reece Jones experienced when he runs in the Living Turf Handicap (1800m).

The gelding has only raced twice in the past two years due to a tendon strain and when he finally made his local debut in April he had cardiac arrhythmia and tailed out.

Ryan said she’d of course like to see the five-year-old progress from his improved effort last start and hopes he can find an easier run in transit to give him that chance.

“I said to Reece to be cold on him, I just wanted to see him hitting the line. Salt Lake City had other ideas,’’ she said.

“I think Reece was blowing harder than the horse was at the end of the race, he just pulled Reece’s arms off.

“He sat in that three wide line and still kept on chugging to the line, it was a huge run on his behalf.

“Those instructions won’t be given to Braith, he’ll just settle where he’s comfortable. If he can get smothered up he’ll be right.”

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