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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Nathan Doyle wants to keep the steps as small as possible, for now, with promising three-year-old Boston Rocks but is confident he has a city class horse on his hands.

The gelding hasn’t met defeat since joining Doyle earlier this year, in a trial or a race, and the Newcastle trainer hopes that run continues as he chases a hat-trick in the PKF Sydney Handicap (1250m) at Kensington on Wednesday.

Boston Rocks made his debut on the same track back in February, starting $19 and finishing eighth of nine, but he hasn’t looked back since as he's recorded easy wins at Gosford and Wyong this time in.

“He’s taking on some seasoned horses but on what he’s done to date you can’t be disappointed,’’ Doyle said.

“He’s on an upward spiral and I expect him to continue on that.

“He’s going well, he’s on the improve and it’s probably the right race to try him. He gets there in good order and I expect him to aim up.”

In his provincial wins, Boston Rocks has sat right on the speed and Doyle said he wouldn’t be concerned if that was the case at Kensington but is adamant he has more than one string to his bow.

He’s actually not a three-year-old until late October but taking on older horses with 54.5kg is a more appealing option to Doyle than throwing Boston Rocks, $3.80 with TAB on Tuesday, in the deep end against his own age.

Boston Rocks wins at Wyong on August 3

“He gets in quite well at the weights and I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t aim up in Saturday grade in time,’’ he said.

“He’s definitely thriving, he’s a horse that’s going to improve the day we can ride him with a bit of cover. I don’t know if that will pan out (on Wednesday) but we ride him with a sit in trackwork and he seems a more dynamic horse.

“The day something comes to challenge him I think he will find again. He hasn’t really been tested yet but we might see here where he’s at moving forward.”

Doyle is also represented by Cheerful Legend in the Benchmark 72 event having saved him from Saturday’s Midway for this race and he said it’s a nice starting point.

The five-year-old has won two of his five starts since joining the stable and gets in with 58.5kg after Ben Osmond’s claim.

“He’s trialled up very well, needed a claim to get in with a respectable weight. He will strip fitter for the run,’’ he said.

“The 1250m is a nice kick off point for him. Once he gets up to 1400m, and I think he will run a mile in time, he’ll be more effective and he needs a dry deck but he seems to have come back well.

“He won’t have to do too much work (from barrier one) and I’d expect him to be strong late.”

Meanwhile, Doyle has bid farewell to stable star Norwegian Bliss who has been retired to stud. The mare won her first seven starts and was Group 3 placed at her eighth.

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Kensington meeting