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By Ray Hickson

Trainer John Thompson is confident the only way is up for lightly raced colt Embrace The Wind and he’d like to think he can back-up an eye-catching return in the Midway Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer John Thompson (Pic: Bradley Photos).

On a day you needed to be closer to the inside, Embrace The Wind settled last and swung wide on the turn before clocking the second fastest last 600m and 200m of his 1100m race to be beaten two lengths.

How the rest of that Rosehill meeting three weeks ago unfolded only highlighted to Thompson how well the three-year-old has returned for his second preparation.

Punter’s Intelligence data showed he ran 34.23 for the last 600m and 11.67 for the final 200m, second only to the winner Lighthouse Lass who darted through along the inside.

“There was a lot more merit in the run with that (track pattern) in mind,’’ Thompson said.

“He’s a nice colt, the distance was a little bit short for him but he’s got a bright future.

“He’s come on from the run and he’ll improve with racing.”

The colt won successive races at Newcastle in January but didn’t quite fire in his first Midway start at the end of what was his first racing preparation and while out of the placings fresh Thompson said his effort showed the upside he has.

With that run under his belt Thompson would like to think Embrace The Wind, $6 with TAB on Thursday, can make some use of drawing well at a more suitable distance.

“He has a good draw, he’ll be closer in the run. I’m not going to say he’ll be on speed but he will be closer up to 1300m,’’ he said.

“Chad (Schofield) goes back on, he rode him when he won his first race and galloped him at Randwick on Tuesday and was very happy.

“He’s always shown that he goes well, he’s only sparingly raced and gives every indication of a nice horse.”

The Randwick trainer wants as dry a track as possible for Motoscafo to be competitive in the Midway after showing a glimpse of form second-up running fifth two weeks ago in the same grade.

The last time she struck a dry track she ran third behind Oui Oui Oui in December before a spell.

“She has been struggling with wet tracks so hopefully it’s a bit drier for her. With the colt it doesn’t matter if it’s wet or dry,’’ he said.

“She just needs to get back on top of the ground and we’ll see her best. We’ll have to take our medicine from the barrier and ride her quiet.”

Starphistocated measured up to Group company in the autumn and Thompson will kick off despite a wide gate in the Racing And Sports Handicap (1300m).

What he’d like to find out this time around is whether she can be effective beyond a mile after her fifth when up to 1900m in the Epona Stakes left him with questions.

“She ran very well at Randwick (third in the Aspiration) and I thought the indication was that she wanted a bit further so we ran in the Epona,’’ he said.

“She presented to win and didn’t go on with it. Either it was one run too many or she’s a miler and we’ll find that out this prep.”

Embrace The Wind's first-up run at Rosehill on June 27

As for her first-up run, Thompson said he’d like to see her finding the line to be on target to improve second up.

“She wants further so we might as well send her around and the next race is a couple of weeks away for her,’’ he said.

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