Alassak placed nicely for Coast
he rode him beautifully in front and he held on strong.
“It’s his first start at 1400m but I think it will suit him. Mick knows the horse well and so I expect him to run a pretty good race.”
Alassak began his third and current preparation with two seventh-place finishes, a fifth and a sixth before finally breaking through for his win on August 5 in Brisbane.
But Murphy said a more mature Alassak was back to his best
“It took a bit longer for him to come to hand this time,” Murphy said.
“We were just a run behind with him all the time. He lost a bit of pace early and he used to be a pretty fast horse.
“His third up-run was pretty good and fourth-up he got four deep with a big weight and we won the next start. His form is better than what it reads.
“He’s a bit more mature now and a bit bigger. He has turned into a nice horse. He isn’t as hyperactive now and a bit more relaxed.”
Murphy predicted Alassak to reach 1600m in the coming races but will make a call after watching his first run at 1400m today.
“The way he is working it looks like he will get over a mile,” Murphy said.
“We will make some more decisions about what his best distance is after (today).
“He has got nice pace and should roll up to the front somewhere and should be hard to beat.
“He likes the track and has won races there. With improvement and maturity he could turn into a nice second level horse.”