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By Brad Gray

The Chris Waller-trained Calculated earned very high praise from champion jockey Hugh Bowman after breaking his maiden at Canterbury in the TAB Handicap (1200m).

The So You Think two-year-old, soon to be three, was backed into $1.65 with TAB Fixed Odds after opening $2.70 on Wednesday morning and from $4.40 bet in the first market on Monday afternoon.

Calculated winning at Canterbury

“He didn’t settle too well for me midrace and I thought that might happen because he wanted to get on with it in his second trial. He has got to learn to relax in the middle stages. When he does, and he will, he is going to have a very bright future,” Bowman said.

“I think he is a miler but he is still immature and it was only his second start today. When that nervous energy leaves him, because he is a very sensible horse and not hard to handle, he has certainly got what it takes.

“His father won the Cox Plate as a three-year-old as we all know and although I wouldn’t imagine he’d be winning this year’s Cox Plate, it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets there in the future.”

Jockey @HugeBowman on the favorite Calculated here. He & @brentonavdulla are both vying to take out Sydney Jockey premiership. pic.twitter.com/R7GfZS0i1I

— Ashleigh McGregor (@mcgregs29) July 5, 2017

It wasn’t an easy watch for punters who took the short quote with Calculated warming to the task to reel in the leaders before holding off a late charge from the second-placed Brave Song, who produced an exceptional debut for Team Snowden.

“He only won by a small margin but I think it will be a good form race,” Waller said, “He is all quality and he still hasn’t learnt what it is all about yet.”

“Being a short-priced favourite we had to bustle him a little bit but I think when you give him the chance to be a horse he’ll settle down and go to the next level.

“You take a lot of confidence out of the sire he is by in So You Think. You’d be thinking a mile would be easy for him. The So You Thinks are really good stock they just need time and that’s what they’ll get.

“His eyes are poking out of his head but he has got the brain to cope with it.”

All the results and replays for Canterbury on Wednesday