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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Garry Frazer has a decent opinion of lightly raced galloper Tocomah and while he’s keeping things in perspective for now he’s prepared to put the gelding to the test at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

Frazer is reminded of his former Group 1 winner Spright when he watches Tocomah and it’s not just because the pair are related – Tocomah’s dam is a half-sister to Spright – it’s in the way he moves.

The four-year-old is a dual acceptor at Kembla in the Precise Fire Handicap (1200m) and the Midway Handicap (1200m) and Frazer said he’ll likely run in the latter if he gains a start but is confident either way he’ll be competitive.

“I don’t know how good he is yet,’’ Frazer said.

“He’s a very casual horse on the track, he’ll just poke along and if you want him to go a bit quicker up he’ll go. I can say this about him, he’s the only horse I’ve had since Spright that can run the sectionals she could.”

Tocomah, $4.60 favourite in the Midway with TAB on Wednesday and $9 in the Benchmark race, is a late starter and that’s due to some misfortune as a young horse and it’s also how he came to Frazer’s Hawkesbury stable.

Tocomah wins at Gosford on July 25

The horse was headed for a Magic Millions yearling sale but he sustained a significant cut to his back leg, that left a visible scar, that needed time.

“We gave him a bit of work but he was always a bit immature,’’ Frazer said.

“The vets recommended we give him three or four months out and start again. They put him out in the back paddock with Eremein and Hurrara and he was out there for 12 months.

“Touch wood since then he’s been sound as a bell.”

Tocomah was beaten on debut in June but Frazer put that down to the heavy track because when he reappeared at Gosford a month later he defied a wide run to post a runaway five length maiden win.

It was the sort of win that got Frazer wondering what level he might be able to reach.

“I think he will be a better horse when he gets to 1400m, I don’t think he’s a speed freak because he’s took laid back and when you click him up he can run a bit of time,’’ he said.

“The horse has done really well and I think he has improved again. You’ve got to bear in mind he’s only had two race starts so he’s got some improvement and learning to do.

“The only thing that beat him at his first start was the bottomless track, he couldn’t pick up. We’ll take it one step at a time and see where we end up this time in.”

Group placed filly Anagain is nearing a return with Frazer planning to trial her at the end of the month before aiming at some fillies races through the spring.

She won on debut then finished second to Paulele in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) in April.

“She’s about three weeks off a trial. She’s grown and filled out, I couldn’t be happier with her,’’ Frazer said.

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