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By Ray Hickson

It’s easy to make a case for a horse that gets back in its races to say they’re building into their preparation but trainer Mitch Beer says a horse like Mafia is a different case.

The front-running gelding has his third run from a break in the Kia Northern Region Dealer Of The Year Handicap (1250m) at Kensington on Wednesday and Beer saw enough in his latest run to say he’s on target to fire.

Mafia comes back in class after contesting two Benchmark 78 races, running fourth after leading at Canterbury three weeks ago, and Beer said the combination of fitness and placement can work in his favour now.

“It’s hard with those horses that are one dimensional, that jump and go forward and they blow out and you think ‘that’s disappointing’,’’ Beer said.

“You can gallop him and jump him out until you’re blue in the face but he takes those runs to get back to match day fitness.

Kembla Grange trainers George Carpenter and Mitch Beer.

“He’s a big burly horse, he took a two or three runs for him to hit his best for us last preparation.

“I thought in his last run he just felt the pinch 50m-100m from home so he’ll be spot on.

“He gets back to that 72 grade, if he takes a length improvement fitness wise and a length improvement from going back in grade that’s probably enough to have him winning.”

The five-year-old, $4.60 with TAB on Tuesday, was a winner at Canterbury back in November in similar grade to what he meets at Kensington.

Beer, who co-trains with George Carpenter, has plans to test Mafia’s distance limits in the near future and does expect it won’t take too long to find winning form again.

“I think he’s coming in at a perfect time of year,’’ he said.

“We were really keen to get him to 1400m this preparation, there’s a Midway 1400m in 10 days.

“He’s a talented horse but he’s probably that good solid Wednesday, Friday night to Midway horse.

“Last preparation he was beaten by a smart one, Oui Oui Oui, in a Midway and backed up a week later and I thought it was a really good run in Saturday grade.”

Talented mare Sunrise will be kept to benchmark racing when she heads to Scone on Saturday with Beer looking for her to improve on her resumption in the Hawkesbury Rush.

She was Group 3 placed in The Warra back in the spring and Beer said, like Mafia, she will be well suited to off-season racing for now.

“She probably needed that run first-up, she drew one and was stuck on the fence which wasn’t he ideal position on the day,’’ he said.

“I’m sure there’s a benchmark Saturday race in her over winter.”

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