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By Ray Hickson

In-form sprinter Conscript has been given the chance to repeat his impressive last start win at Randwick on Saturday after trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou resisted the temptation to skip a grade.

Trainer Sterling Alexiou (Pic: Grant Guy)

The four-year-old was an easy winner of a Benchmark 78 over 1100m two weeks ago, when well supported, and by electing to claim 2kg with apprentice Tyler Schiller he will carry just 0.5kg more in the same class in the City Tattersalls Group Handicap (1200m).

Alexiou said a Benchmark 88 on Saturday week was enticing but with both races worth $150,000 missing a grade and winning would only increase his rating faster.

“We probably weren’t expecting him to run so well first-up after things didn’t go right for him but he look to get things go his way the other day and we were quite confident going there,’’ Alexiou said.

“He’s done nothing at home to suggest he hasn’t held that winning form going into Saturday.

“He’s not a horse that requires a lot of work. He went to the races first-up and was going to derive a bit of benefit and was basically at his peak the other day so we’ve got to maintain that now.”

Conscript has won five of his 15 starts and each time he’s managed to break through for the first time in a preparation he’s backed it up with another win.

Alexiou said since failing in what in hindsight was a strong Benchmark 64 at Goulburn back in October the gelding has gone from strength to strength.

“Every time he’s come back he seems to have improved,’’ he said.

“He put in that ordinary performance second-up last time in but he hasn’t missed a beat since. So for him to come back and win a Saturday race all the owners and the stable were very pleased with him.”

It’s worth noting that Conscript, $3.10 with TAB on Thursday, has an on pace racing pattern but his first-up third behind Hulk told the stable he’s not a lead at all costs horse.

That could be important late in the afternoon and Alexiou said, while he expects to be in the firing line early, drawing out appears to be in his favour.

“While he’s got a lot of speed and likes to lead his run first-up shows you he’s more than adaptable if he was required to take a sit,’’ he said.

“Between now and Saturday I’d imagine there will be quite a few changes to the speed map with scratchings so it’s not something we’ll have a proper look at until race morning.”

Stayer Oceanic Flash will need a well timed ride from Tommy Berry in the Quayclean Handicap (2400m) after Alexiou felt he was left exposed when he dashed to the lead 300m out before being run down by Yggdrasil at Rosehill three weeks ago.

He meets that horse 1kg better at the weights and while he’s proven competent in the wet he’s yet to race at Randwick to tick that box.

“He’s not the sort of horse you want to be hitting the front on (so early), he tends to think his job is done,’’ Alexiou said.

“He’s been the horse that wins his race in the last 100m not at the top of the straight.

Conscript wins at Randwick on July 9

“I would have liked to see him on a firmer surface than we’ll get on Saturday although he has performed on wet tracks. He handled a wet track at Rosehill, he’s never run at Randwick and that’s a bit of an unknown handling a wet at Randwick.”

Meanwhile, Champagne Stakes placegetter Williamsburg is nearing a return as he targets the Group 1 $2m Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) in October.

The colt is likely to return in the Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes on August 27 and hopes are high that maturity will be his friend in the spring.

“He was doing a lot of that on raw ability, he’s far from the finished article,’’ he said.

“He’s a lot stronger now and I think he is in for a good preparation. A lot of jockeys have always had a good opinion of him and it probably took him a few races to put it all together.”

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