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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Bryce Heys understands the excitement around his promising galloper Engine Room but says the three-year-old still has work to do if he’s to notch a hat-trick at Gosford on Saturday.

Trainer Bryce Heys (Pic: Steve Hart)

On the plus side, Engine Room has so far this preparation coped with a soft track well, he’s come inside and around horses to win his two races, and handled a drop in distance.

Heys said the switch to Gosford and rise in distance in the Polvin Fencing Systems Handicap (1600m) are new challenges he has to overcome and while it’s far from beyond him sees the race as an important stepping stone.

“He’s drawn a bit awkward, it’s a tighter track, he’s going to have to be a good horse to overcome it,’’ Heys said.

“I haven’t thought too far ahead, I feel he has a level of ability. It’s hard to get a horse that can be competitive on a Saturday without just sending them around.

“Sydney is the best racing in the world and if we can place him to advantage we can have some enjoyment before letting him get himself somewhere.

“Regardless of what happens, beyond Saturday there are some nice races over 1500m at Rosehill and a mile at Randwick that will suit him down to the ground.”

Heys resisted the temptation to tackle the $500,000 The Coast - he would have gained a start with some early scratchings - but felt keeping him in his lane for now was in the horse's best interests.

Engine Room, $3.30 with TAB on Thursday, showed a glimpse of his potential when he endured a tough run and was grabbed late by Snitzanova, who subsequently won two Group races, at the end of October.

He resumed with a maiden win over 1300m at Warwick Farm then came back 50m to score under 61.5kg on the Kensington track on Anzac Day.

The gelding was always going to be prepared by Heys to have his next run over 1500m or 1600m so he isn’t too concerned with the rise in trip.

“He’s got to get back to the races so we’ve got to do this and he’s a horse that has always given the impression he would run a mile,’’ he said.

“So the way he’s been conditioned was to be that he’d be running 1500m or a mile third-up. But we realise that could bring us completely undone.”

The Warwick Farm trainer is no stranger to finding a handy horse and Engine Room currently falls in that category.

He does hold a nomination for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) next month but Heys said the horse still has plenty of learning to do and if he comes through his Gosford test with flying colours it will be a positive sign.

“He’s a nice cut of a horse and always shown something,’’ he said.

“We’ve battled a bit with shin soreness more than once which can happen but that was just a sign of his immaturity.

Engine Room wins at Kensington on April 25

“We were always going to miss the autumn and try to place him to advantage going into this prep and see how we go.

“He’s not the easiest horse, he’s got a pretty ordinary bedside manner, and the fact that he’s behaving himself on race day and been able to race well shows he’s come a long way. When you see that you feel you’re getting somewhere.”

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