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By Ray Hickson

Buenos Noches has long been seen as a Group 1 winner in waiting and trainer Matthew Smith says the result of his first-up assignment at Randwick on Saturday will go a long way to telling him how close he is to achieving that status.

Trainer Matthew Smith (Pic: Steve Hart)

The four-year-old, already twice Group 1 placed, tackles the Group 2 $300,000 James Squire Expressway Stakes (1200m) and Smith said it’s an ideal start to an important preparation.

“This has got to be his campaign,’’ Smith said.

“He’s more mature, he looks like a proper colt, he’s just taken a little while to get there.

“He’s just got to put it together, and if he can put it all together I can’t see why he can’t win a proper race.”

Smith said Buenos Noches, $2 with TAB on Thursday, is going at least as well, if not better, than when he started his spring with a dominant win in the Group 3 Show County over the Randwick 1200m.

That performance, backed up by his close third to Private Eye and Overpass in The Shorts, vaulted him into the top echelon of sprinters and resulted in gaining an Everest slot.

While luck didn’t fall his way in the $20 million sprint, Buenos Noches confirmed his standing as a top liner splitting Imperatriz and In Secret in the Champions Sprint before a spell.

On the back of two trials, Smith said the Expressway will be a good test.

“I’m happy with his lead up into the race,’’ he said.

“His fitness is good, he jumped well out of the gates in his trial and he did it fairly easily so I think he’s ready to go.

“I think he’ll land in the right spot with a bit of luck, hopefully fourth or fifth. But it’s a good race to see where he’s up to, there’s a couple of nice horses in there.

“Horses like Coal Crusher and Malkovich, they are solid horses and they are going to run quick time over 1200m.

“It’ll be interesting to see, dependant on sectionals, if he can get into the race. If they go slow and quicken it'll be harder, you want a genuinely run race.”

Smith has plenty of time for lightly raced five-year-old Time Quest who resumes in the Chandon Garden Spritz Handicap (1400m).

The gelding beat Louisville to win his maiden first-up last preparation and was a Sandown winner in June and Smith said he’ll run a nice race fresh with improvement to come.

“He’s identified himself as a horse that should go through his grades,’’ he said.

“He had a good prep, he’s come back well. I wouldn’t say he’s wound up for a first-up assignment but he’ll be strong late.”

Buenos Noches runs third in a Randwick trial on February 8

Matt Smith on Miracle Spin (race 9): “They dawdled last start and he never really got into the race. His trial the other day was excellent, he looks well and he’ll be attacking the line.”

On Esti Feny (race 9): “He’ll take a few runs. He’s only had one run over 2400m since he’s been here and we bought him as a two miler. I want to give him a chance this prep to get out over a trip and see if he can stay. Obviously he can stay because he’s won over 2800m so let’s see what we can do this time in.”

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