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By Ray Hickson

It’s easy to get ahead of yourself when it comes to a high priced yearling but trainer Annabel Neasham is happy to take a small step when Man In The Mirror debuts at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Trainer Annabel Neasham (Pic: Grant Guy)

The Not A Single Doubt colt was a $1.8 million purchase at the Magic Millions sales earlier this year so naturally carries some expectation on his shoulders.

Neasham has opted for familiar surrounds as he kicks off in The Agency Real Estate Handicap (1000m) and hopes it works in his favour.

“He’s going to get over a bit more ground for sure but I just thought home track 1000m would be ideal for him,’’ Neasham said.

“With a horse like him, he has a good pedigree, for me it’s about kicking him off in a nice maiden and giving him a good experience.

“If he can win that’d be confidence going forward into better races into the autumn.”

Man In The Mirror had his second trial last Tuesday, with race day jockey Tommy Berry in the saddle, and Neasham elected not to rush him to the races at Randwick last weekend.

He won the 900m gallop in 56.29 and though the time wasn’t particularly fast Neasham said he’s a somewhat casual colt.

“With a two-year-old I wouldn’t like trialling on a Tuesday and running on Saturday, we accepted just to have a look,’’ she said.

“We knew it was going to be a small field but in the end I had to take that out of my mind. It’s not usually what I do with a two-year-old first starter.

“He’s been working well. I haven’t looked at the rest of the field to see what is there but I’d be confident he will be competitive.”

The colt was $3.50 favourite with TAB on Tuesday for his Warwick Farm debut and while he is eligible for the Magic Millions the trainer said next month’s feature is an unlikely target.

“I wouldn’t be set on running him up there, he might be a horse for those nice colts races here so we’ll see how he goes before we work out which direction he goes in,’’ she said.

Interestingly, Man In The Mirror's dam One More Honey made a winning start to her career in a 1000m race at Randwick on Boxing Day in 2016 and was a Group 2 winner at her third start.

It would be timely if stablemate Regal Pom can break through for his first win in the Vinery Plate (1300m) given he was a Christmas gift to some members of the Neasham family a year ago.

Man In The Mirror wins a trial at Rosehill on December 14

The three-year-old has been placed in two of his four starts including his last run back in August where he beat all bar Godolphin gelding Alegron, who would then be placed in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes and Victoria Derby.

Neasham said, as much as she’d like to provide a maiden win a few days before Christmas for her family, he’ll improve on whatever he does on Wednesday.

“He might need a little bit further, he’ll be better over a mile. I thought he trialled well the other day and on his home track he can be competitive,'' she said.

“At the end of last prep we got him up to 1400m and he ran second to Alegron so he obviously bumped into a smart one there.”

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday's Warwick Farm meeting