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By Ray Hickson

There was plenty of confidence around promising sprinter Hedged when he resumed last month and, while beaten, co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr says he’s lost none of that confidence going to Randwick on Saturday.

The four-year-old was sent out a solid favourite in the Group 3 The Warra over the 1000m at Kembla Grange and ran a creditable third behind Headwall, not sprinting quite as Kent Jnr had expected.

He said on SEN that under the circumstances of the day the first-up run was excellent and he’d expect Hedged to be a force in the Listed $200,000 Racing & Sports Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m).

“I was very bullish on this horse first-up when they were calling the track a soft 5/good 4,’’ he said.

“It played firm, they went very slick times. I didn’t think 1000m would be too sharp for him but in those conditions, on very fast ground, it was a little sharp for him.

“I’m really looking forward to 1200m and a better tempo.”

Hedged, $3.30 with TAB on Thursday, wound up his winter campaign with an impressive all the way win at Listed level at Ipswich back in June.

Hedged runs third in The Warra

When he resumed at Kembla Grange he settled around fifth and attempted to make his run with the winner, who is a 1000m specialist, and wound up beaten a length with a bit of tightening on the line.

He has taken significant natural improvement from that fresh performance in the Warra and he’ll return to Randwick for the first time since running Joliestar to a tight margin in the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint back in April.

That was over the 1200m and Kent Jnr said the barrier draw in the Razor Sharp is just ideal and should provide a perfect lead in to next month’s Magic Millions target.

“He’s drawn one, you know what that means, he’ll be doing no work and there’ll be plenty of horse underneath Chad Schofield approaching the turn,’’ he said.

“He’ll just need a bit of room in the straight.

“I think he’ll end up in a good spot, a couple of horses to beat will be just in front of him and they should hopefully take him into the race.

“If there’s some gaps there I think he’s going super and it’s a really nice race for him as we build toward Magic Millions.”

Last year’s Razor Sharp winner Recommendation also ran third in The Warra before winning the Listed sprint, also from barrier one, and did it with 1kg less than Hedged will carry.

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