First-Up Marathon assignment suits Hector

Trainer Kim Prentice is confident Hector is forward enough to return a winner in Friday’s Retravision Marathon Handicap (3309m) at Gloucester Park.

Hector won three of his four starts since coming to Perth to join Kim Prentice's stable earlier this year.

His last campaign culminated with wins in the Easter Cup (2503m) and The Eucla (2536m).

The five-year-old faces a big task first-up taking on a talented field in the $30,000 standing start feature event.

Prentice said he was confident fitness wouldn't be an issue for Hector on Friday night.

"He's coming along really well," Prentice told The Trots WA.

"3300 first-up is a bit of an ask, but he's done plenty of work and if he steps well, he will be thereabouts.

"I picked this race out for him a couple of weeks ago and the owner reckons he's no good over the mile.

"I think the distance and the stand will suit and I reckon he's done enough work."

Adding to the difficulty of Hector's task is having to concede the Gary Hall Snr-trained You're So Fine 20m, with the four-year-old making his standing start debut.

Hector will be joined on the 20m line by last week's Free-For-All winner Watching Our Coin and Ardens Horizon, with the talented Steel The Show a further 10m back.

Prentice said he would like to give Hector every chance to work his way to the WA Pacing Cup (2536m) in November.

"Our aim is the Cups and we will just have to see whether that is a dream or not," he said.

"He won't be able to do the work in that grade like he did last time in.

"I think we will see the best of him when he's sat up for one run and we will drive him like that in the better races.

"I'm really looking forward to the next six months with him."

Meanwhile, Prentice said he would run "a couple of tests" on exciting filly Lenora Jane, after she finished at the tail of the field in her Diamond Classic heat on Tuesday night.

"I knew she put in on Tuesday night because she came back in and was blowing," he said.

"She wouldn't have blown a candle out when she won last Friday.

"When she breezed outside Browny's horse [Xceptional Arma] she just lobbed there.

"On Tuesday she had to work three-wide to get there and we may have found out she's not that tough."

Prentice said he hoped Lenora Jane would recapture her best form for next month's Westbred Classic (2130m).


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