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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Allan Kehoe is ready to start raising the bar on promising filly One Kind if she can run up to his expectation at her home track debut at Wyong on Sunday.

Trainer Allan Kehoe (Pic: Grant Guy)

While Kehoe has already thrown the three-year-old in the deep end once, by running her in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes back in February, he said it was worth a shot but ultimately too high a bar for her second race start.

But since dipping the toe into stakes company, One Kind has taken her record to three wins from five starts and the Wyong trainer is confident she can enhance it in the CBWN Handicap (1000m).

“She hit the ground running and it was (the Sweet Embrace) or the Wellington Boot,’’ he said.

“We probably should have gone to the Wellington Boot but the boys all wanted a day out so we had a throw at the stumps. She wasn’t mentally ready for that sort of race.

“But she’s come back so much stronger, and she’s a racehorse now.

“We were originally going to start at Wyong first-up but I said to the boys one more kill in the bush and then we’ll come this way.”

One Kind ventured to Tuncurry for her first-up assignment two weeks ago and she ran out a comfortable three-quarter length winner in a 1000m Class 2.

Kehoe said he was tempted to go straight to the provincials first-up, or even to Sydney, but is pleased he stuck to the plan and it paid off.

“It was the right move and she ended up winning like a good horse up there,’’ he said.

“She has trained on really well and I think it’s the right race.

“All the owners are from the Central Coast and we thought this race was an ideal stepping stone and if she can pull this one off there’s a Midway in a few weeks.”

The filly came to Kehoe to be pre-trained and she left such an impression he pitched up to keep her. The owners were only too happy as many had raced four time winner and multiple Highway placegetter Crackneck with him.

He said from another inside gate jockey Raymond Spokes will have plenty of options but isn’t against the idea of taking the sprint by the scruff of the neck.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she bounced to the front, she’s come on that much,’’ he said.

“I’ll leave it to Ray, he knows the horse, but she’ll be somewhere in the first four.”

There’s a quiet confidence from Kehoe that lightly raced Italiano will be a sharp improver with the blinkers going on in the Robson Civil Projects Plate (1600m).

One Kind wins at Tuncurry on August 11

The son of Americain was outsprinted on debut over 1200m and the trainer is adamant he could have been closer than fifth at his second outing at Muswellbrook two weeks ago.

“I don’t mind the horse. His run at Newcastle was good, the other day he probably should have run a clear third,’’ he said.

“He should have been ridden a bit more forward. He’s probably a prep away but he’ll end up a nice stayer.

“I think he will go through his grades. The blinkers have sharpened him up a bit more and it wouldn’t shock me if he came out and ran a hole.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s Wyong meeting