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By Ray Hickson

Trainer John Sargent has already shown his hand that he thinks Meridiana is a stakes winner in waiting and he’s confident she can take a step toward that aim at Newcastle on Saturday.

Trainer John Sargent.

The four-year-old has only raced six times so far and three of them have been in Listed company, including a third in Brisbane back in April, so she’s far from out of place in the Lees Racing ‘Legend’ Mile (1600m).

Meridiana was a brilliant winner in Midway company first-up and Sargent regards the Four Pillars, where she flashed home for second, as one that got away.

“She was a bit stiff she couldn’t get out when we wanted to and it cost her the race because they weren’t really coming from the back,’’ he said.

“She seems to have improved, she was only second-up the other day and she’s come through that really well.

“We’ll see after this whether she carries on for another one or two or goes for a break.”

The mare, $2.80 with TAB on Wednesday, found herself well into the second half of the field in the Four Pillars, under 59.5kg, and she ran easily the fastest last 600m and 200m in a race that wasn’t strongly run to be beaten just over half a length by Sonofdec.

She'll have the chance to settle the score as the pair face off again.

Sargent said he’d like to see her well within striking range having drawn better than the middle and is looking forward to seeing her back at the mile.

“We went back from the draw the other day but there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be at least midfield at worst and use the draw,’’ he said.

“You can’t just give them a start all the time. I’ll be telling Jason (Collett) to get a spot a lot closer.

“It looks a nice race for her at a mile on a big track.”

Three-year-old Ratify is a horse Sargent believes will start to come into his own in the new year but says he’s not out of place in the Group 3 $250,000 NZB Spring Stakes (1600m).

The gelding has finished fourth in both starts to date, at 1400m which he’s found a bit short as he’s settled at the tail and worked home strongly late on each occasion.

“He was very green last time, he’s very promising but mentally immature,’’ he said.

“I want to put him in here and hide him away so he can’t get out in the open too early.

“He has immense ability, hopefully he can be in the field somewhere and hit the line strong.”

A last start win has Sargent quietly confident that Perfect Justice has turned the corner and could go on with it in the Novocastrian Electrical Midway Handicap (1600m).

Perfect Justice enjoyed an easy run from an inside gate when scoring over the same distance at Hawkesbury on October 23 and Sargent would like to think he’s going better now than when he was beaten a length at his only Midway attempt back during the Scone carnival.

“He seems to have improved, the penny might have dopped with him,’’ he said.

Meridiana runs second in the Four Pillars

“It was a nice win and his work has been very good, from the draw with the nice weight he should run very well.”

John Sargent on Glad You Think So (race 6): “We’ll see what the track is like, he does like the sting out and as we saw the other day he grows a leg or two with the cut in the track. So we’ll wait and see what happens closer to Saturday.”

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