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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Nathan Doyle is adamant Dalaalaat is not a one-dimensional backmarker and is flirting with giving jockey Koby Jennings the option of sending him forward in Saturday’s Midway Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill now he’s stepping up in distance.

Trainer Nathan Doyle (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The six-year-old is blessed with a big finish but is often hampered by wide barriers that force him back before he unleashes a sprint that makes him a regular eye-catcher.

That was the case last start at Randwick where, after jumping in front from the outside gate, he went back to last before reeling off a 32.77 (Punter’s Intelligence) last 600m to be beaten two lengths by With Your Blessing in a 1200m Midway.

Doyle said it could be the right to time ask Dalaalaat, $8 with TAB on Thursday, to be a little more prominent.

“We could give him a squeeze and go forward from that gate,’’ he said.

“I don’t think it has come up an overly strong Midway but once again he can’t draw a gate. It’s the story of his life. We’ll play it by ear, he’s going well and I can’t fault him.

“I think he can go forward, in his first run for us he was just behind the speed at Scone and was able to run them down.

“Up to the 1400m looks to suit, they won’t go as quickly early so he might be able to put himself into a spot with a bit more ease.”

The track condition could be vital to Doyle’s promising four-year-old Xpresso continuing on his winning way in the Kia Ora Farnan Handicap (1100m).

While Xpresso won his maiden on a heavy track he’s been able to climb the ladder swiftly on good tracks this time in coming off a first-up Wyong victory then stepping to Benchmark 72 level at Canterbury and scoring again.

The Newcastle trainer concedes he faces a challenge with 59kg, particularly giving the favourite Passeggiata 7kg, but against that is a favourable draw.

“He always showed us plenty of talent at home, he has a nice turn of foot and he wasn’t able to show it on those wet tracks,’’ he said.

“It was a slow build up, he was probably ready to go when the tracks were still a bit wet through the early part of the spring but he waited a while until they dried up with some warmer weather and he seems to be getting the rewards now.

“It looks quite a competitive little race with horses who meet him nicely at the weights so we will definitely know where he’s at coming out of Saturday.

“Koby says when he hits the front he sits there and waits for them so in that sort of company he won’t be hitting the front too soon.”

Of his other Rosehill runners, Doyle said the consistent Modern Millie has earned a shot at Saturday prizemoney in the TAB Handicap (1500m) after three consecutive seconds including a narrow defeat to Too Much Caviar.

Dalaalaat's last start at Randwick on December 17

And he warned outsider Diamond Tipped, $34 with TAB, could be a surprise packet in the Chandon Handicap (1500m).

“He’s shown us a lot, he was quite impressive when he won,’’ he said.

“He was probably a little unlucky at Hawkesbury and at Newcastle he was going around against old heads and I probably made a mistake going to 1350m.

“He was probably looking for the 1500m and I’m interested to see him go around.”

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