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By Brad Gray

Calculated created quite a stir in racing circles after recently breaking his maiden at Canterbury and his burgeoning reputation goes on the line at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The son of So You Think is a dead-ringer for his sire and his ability promises to match his looks with Hugh Bowman saying after the victory that he “wouldn’t imagine he would be winning this year’s Cox Plate but it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets there in the future.”

Bowman isn’t typically one to make rash statements so you can imagine the excitement currently bubbling away for Star Thoroughbred’s Denise Martin.

“He is a typical So You Think two-year-old in that has needed a bit of extra time but he is a beautiful looking colt. Certainly there are elements of his sire,” Martin said.

“Chris (Waller), Hugh and the team feel that he is talented and looks to have a very bright future. After he trialled Hugh felt that 1200m might be a bit short for him but because he has the ability and a great attitude (he overcame it).”

When quizzed on the prospects of Calculated progressing through to the Golden Rose, Martin drew comparisons with one of her past stars in Squamosa.

“At this time of the year the late two-year-olds can come from anywhere. Some years ago I had a lovely colt in Squamosa and he only started racing during the winter and he won the Run To The Rose and almost pulled off a tremendous win in the Golden Rose running second,” Martin recalled.

“You just don’t know how far they’ll progress but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. At this stage it’s just a matter of seeing how he does progress and Chris can then determine where he is placed over the spring. Chris is immensely patient with his juveniles and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Calculated progress to better races.

“We’ve found over the years that winter form can definitely translate to spring form. Foxplay won her (first) race in June in her two-year-old year and Hugh Bowman said after he rode her that day that she could progress through the spring but didn’t know how far. She won two Group Twos and in the autumn a Group One.”

Calcuated winning at Canterbury first-up

On the topic of Queen Of The Turf-winner Foxplay, the rising four-year-old has been back in work for the best part of a month and will likely plot a path towards the Epsom Handicap before heading south for the Myer Classic.

“She has put on good condition and although she hasn’t grown height-wise significantly she is certainly much stronger and looks like a fully mature mare now,” Martin said.

The purple Star Thoroughbred silks will also be represented by Pioneering on Saturday at Rosehill and again has Bowman, who on Wednesday took the lead from Brenton Avdulla in the metro jockey premiership, engaged for the ride.

“Brenton has had a super season and has applied himself wonderfully well in recent years. I’ve know Hugh since he first came down from the country so I’ve watched his progress over the years and he is a just a world class rider these days as everybody knows,” said Martin.

“(Pioneering) had quite a time off after the Magic Millions and sometimes the older mares need time to get back into racing mode. It looks a good race for her at her home track, over a good distance for her and the blinkers are going on.”

All the fields, form and replays at Rosehill on Saturday