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By Ray Hickson

Trainer John Thompson feels consistent mare Emmadella has made the necessary improvement to be a force second-up at Randwick on Saturday if she can overcome another tricky alley.

The four-year-old, a winner of three from 12, was an eye-catcher when she returned two weeks ago clocking a race best 33.41 final 600m (Punter’s Intelligence) as she ran into fourth behind the smart Zoubaby.

That was at 1200m and Thompson said the Midway Handicap (1400m) is much more suitable.

“She’s very honest, she gives the best every run but the 1200m is just a little bit short,’’ he said.

Trainer John Thompson (Pic: Steve Hart)

“She was good (first-up), just got a little bit held up around the corner there but once she got clear she hit the line nicely.

“She’s a big, gross, horse so the run has improved her and brought her on. She looks a lot better in the coat and in herself.

“I think the 1400m to a mile is her distance so she’s up to the 1400m, blinkers back on, and Nash Rawiller going on is never a bad thing.”

Thompson said he won’t be tying Rawiller down with instructions about how to ride Emmadella, $2.90 with TAB on Friday, who has drawn alongside the designated leader Magnatear.

In general her pattern is to settle off the speed and he feels she will likely race in the second half of the field but hopefully not conceding as much start.

It’s Thompson’s normal pattern to start Emmadella’s preparations without blinkers and he hopes this time in she can take some steps toward stakes company.

“As a routine we take them off first-up and she ran well without them so we put them back on,’’ he said.

“It’s up to her where she gets to. She’s honest and I think she will go through the grades but where she ends up I’m not sure.

“Hopefully she ends up in a black type race at some stage.”

If there’s no overnight storms that seriously affect the track, Pure Hydrogen will take his place in the Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap (1500m) at Kembla Grange.

Things didn’t quite go to plan with the gelding’s first-up run back on December 12 and because of that, Thompson said his effort to run fifth was pleasing knowing there was plenty of improvement to come.

“He got into a bit of trouble early in the race and nearly fell, Zac (Lloyd) said a horse came across from the outside and just tripped him up,’’ he said.

“He was a bit further back than ideal but hit the line strong. He’ll do the same again.

“He’s a big horse, he’ll improve again after this run. He needs racing to het him fit but he’s working well and he will run well.”

Meanwhile, Gimcrack Stakes winner Bel Merci has been back in Thompson’s Randwick stable for over a month and is about three weeks away from a barrier trial.

The filly shares the top of Golden Slipper betting at $15 and is set to resume in the Group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m) on February 22.

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