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By Ray Hickson

The jury is still out on whether import Inquiring Minds will run a strong 2000m in Australia but co-trainer Tom Charlton says he’s sure to appreciate the Randwick mile on Saturday.

Tom Charlton (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Inquiring Minds has had six starts for Charlton and co-trainer John O’Shea, for two wins, and the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation Handicap (1600m) will be his first start on his home track.

Charlton said while he won over 2011m on debut in the UK and was placed at 2414m he’s showing, at least so far, he’s appreciating slightly sharper trips.

“I think we are getting to know him a little bit,’’ he said.

“When he came over to us he’d raced over a mile and a half in England on tough staying tracks.

“We felt in evaluating him he was probably finding those stiff mile and a half races a little too much for him.

“We think he will probably get to 2000m but there’s still a bit to be learned about him.”

The five-year-old, $5.50 with TAB on Friday, won first-up in a tight finish over 1550m at Canterbury in mid-November then went a month between runs into a close up fourth over the same course on December 13.

While beaten second-up, Charlton said there was as much merit in that performance as in his fresh win and feels he’ll relish stepping out onto the more spacious Randwick course.

“I think as much as he’s been effective at Canterbury he probably wasn’t seen to best effect last start,’’ he said.

“He didn’t get the rub of the green early in the piece and as a result was in a position that made things really difficult.

“The horse’s effort was really excellent again, hard to fault, probably similar to his winning effort but didn’t have the circumstances to see that reflected in where he finished.

“Going to a big open mile track should suit him really well. It’s a stiffer mile which he’s probably looking for at this stage, and it looks a winnable race.”

Zac Wadick takes 2kg off Inquiring Minds again and Charlton said his performance on Saturday will go a long way to working out whether the mile is his sweet spot.

“I don’t think we’ll be going back to a 1550m at Canterbury,’’ he said.

“That step to a mile to Randwick is stiffer and we can assess beyond Saturday whether we stay at the trip or go to 1800m or 2000m.

“It’s a perfect off season benchmark 78 and I’d be confident he’ll be effective in that grade.”

School Fees will make his debut for O’Shea and Charlton in the Jim’s Mowing Handicap (1400m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday though Charlton said he’ll expect more from the gelding at his second start.

Inquiring Minds runs fourth at Canterbury on December 13

The three-year-old by Tivaci has trialled three times in the lead up to his first start.

“He’s a slow maturing horse but a nice style of horse,’’ Charlton said.

“He might take a run before the penny starts to drop with him. A roomy track will help him and we’d like to see him run well.”

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