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By Ray Hickson

It’s never easy to back up a career best performance and trainer Angela Davies has been mindful that emerging sprinter Our Kobison has that task at Randwick on Saturday.

Angela Davies and Our Kobison (Pic: Bradley Photos).

And he has the weight of expectation, along with a rise to 58.5kg, going into the James Squire Handicap (1200m) on the back of breaking a 27 year old Rosehill track record four weeks ago.

Davies said it was a tough run so there’s been no urgency about rushing back to the track or into Group company.

“It was a bit of a gut buster, when horses run that time and as hard as they ran in the middle stages it’s a bit of a concern,’’ Davies said.

“I thought he’d lightened off a little bit, even though he seemed fairly well, and I thought rather than rush back to the races we back off a bit and let him come back to me before we go again.”

Our Kobison, $1.90 with TAB on Thursday, has seen quite a bit of a dressage arena in Gosford in recent weeks as Davies worked to combat any effects the win on fast ground might have had.

She said she saw little things shortly after the run but has been rapt with how he’s bounced through the win and is confident he’ll be able to hold his form.

“We kept him at home but gave him a few days here and there away from the track,’’ she said.

“I wanted to see him soften again in the flank and not look so tight and hard. He probably looks even better than he did when he won the other day.”

Davies said she could easily have thrown Our Kobison into a stakes race but still views the four-year-old as a work in progress and having another Benchmark 88 on offer was ideal.

“I thought let’s take the easy pickings while we can then have a seasoned horse ready to go when we’re prepared to cop penalties for Group races,’’ she said.

“I’m mindful he’s still lightly raced and I think he’s only just starting to work it out, and starting to learn how to settle more in his races.

“Once he learns his trade he’s going to be awesome next preparation, if he continues and becomes a more seasoned horse. Who knows how good he’s going to be.”

Kerrin McEvoy played super sub on Our Kobison at Rosehill when James McDonald was injured but McDonald, who is two from two on the horse, will be back on board on Saturday.

Davies doesn’t love barrier one but said that’s McDonald’s job to negotiate.

The result of Saturday’s race will go a long way to telling Davies where the next step should be – as it stands there’s an equal chance he could continue the preparation or go for a break.

“If he won again with dominance and pulled up well I’d just keep edging one more,’’ Davies said.

“If you put them out in a paddock something could go wrong and you have to start all over again.

“While he’s racing well and doesn’t appear to have gone off we’ll keep plodding along and see where we’re at.”

Meanwhile, Davies is eyeing the Gosford leg of the Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships with Karedada after the promising galloper scored a barrier trial win on Wednesday.

Our Kobison wins at Rosehill on February 3

The gelding hasn’t raced since winning at Canterbury in December, after a small setback, and is on track for the March 16 race.

“I’m tickled pink with him, he trialled really well and he was only just ready to trial,’’ she said.

“Gibbo (Andrew Gibbons) got off an said he did it under his own steam.

“I think he’s definitely a 1400m horse and probably a soft track horse. If he keeps progressing he’ll be a really competitive horse come final time.”

Karedada is on the $15 line in TAB’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final market. Our Kobison is third favourite at $8, but a win on Saturday would make him ineligible.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting