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By Ray Hickson

It’s trainer Scott Singleton’s conclusion that promising three-year-old Remlaps Commander suffered from a ‘guy problem’ in his shock Highway failure last month and he’s hoping to right the ship at Gosford on Saturday.

Trainer Scott Singleton (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Although the colt raced wide as a $5.50 chance at his Highway debut, Singleton said there was no evidence he wasn’t handling the heavy ground and stopped as though something was getting in the way of his action.

So he’s putting the run in the forgive file as he goes into the TAB Highway (1200m) at Gosford.

“I was a bit perplexed by it. The colt is particularly genuine, never puts in a bad piece of work and never puts in a bad run and he just petered out,’’ Singleton said.

“To me it didn’t look like he didn’t handle the track either. I’d love to say it’s as simple as he didn’t handle the wet but he would have tried a bit.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he squeezed himself up behind. Being a colt, it’ll stop them like that. My gut feeling is telling me that.”

Remlaps Commander, $5.50 with TAB on Thursday, has been back to the trials at Muswellbrook since his last start and Singleton made a point of putting Jenny Duggan on in that gallop.

Duggan had partnered the colt to an easy win at Newcastle first-up.

“I thought I better trial him again so I’m doing everything I can to make sure he’s going as well as I think he is,’’ he said.

“The trial didn’t make it any clearer because he went terrific. It was a really good piece of work.

“I was happy for Jenny to trial him because she knew what he had to feel like to feel like when she trialled him before and when she won on him.

“She couldn’t find anything to complain about at all so we go back to the races and hope for the best."

So with the prospect of a dry track and a favourable gate, Singleton can see no reason why he won't perform to his best.

“He’s been to Gosford before,'' he said.

"There’s a bit more to like this week, it’s not going to be wet so that takes that excuse away from him and the horse is in good shape.

“I feel like I have to go there and be confident but that last start is lurking in the back of the mind as well.”

The Scone trainer also has Comonic and Reach Beyond engaged at the Gosford meeting but is also taking a team of horses to Dubbo on Saturday including handy mare Dollar Magic.

The four-year-old was runner-up in the Highway at Hawkesbury two weeks ago and Singleton believes the $40,000 Arrowfield Queen Of The West (1200m) is a nice race for her, though she did come up with the outside barrier.

Remlaps Commander wins a Muswellbrook trial on April 28

In addition to the prizemoney, the winner also collects a service to Castelvecchio which Singleton said appeals to the mare’s owners.

“I didn’t want to run her against Remlaps Commander in the Highway,’’ he said.

“The owners are breeders and if she does happen to win she gets a free service so it’s not a bad result for them.

“She stepped a bit awkward (at Hawkesbury) and got herself a couple of lengths further back than she would have been but the winner was too good on the day.”

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