Draw only concern for Hypnos

WELLINGTON: Talented 3yrold Hypnos will have his first tilt at elite level when he lines up in the Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham tomorrow.

Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood have taken a patient approach with the son of Reliable Man, which is starting to pay dividends for the Cambridge conditioners.

‘‘He’s been a horse that we have had to make along the process,’’ Wellwood said.

‘‘He wasn’t a readymade racehorse, but he is certainly going the right way and we have been very happy with his form of late.’’

That good form includes placing in the group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie last month before returning to the track on Boxing Day to win the listed Uncle Remus Stakes.

‘‘I thought his run in the Uncle Remus [1400m] was super,’’ Wellwood said.

‘‘He’s a horse that has been known to overrace a little bit, but he relaxed reasonably nicely.

‘‘He was probably one of the fitter inform horses and it was a wet track, so it was certainly his day.’’

Wellwood has been happy with the progress of Hypnos since that victory and said his only concern was drawing barrier 9 in the 11horse field.

‘‘He’s been great since Box ing Day. He has actually been handling his preparation well. He eats well and is a real professional athlete and we’re really happy with the way he has progressed on from there.

‘‘The draw is the real niggle. We would have loved an inside draw. We’re not 100% sure of how were going to ride him yet.

‘‘It’s only a small field, so we have just got to hope that he has a bit of luck and gets a bit of an economical run. I am sure he will be there or thereabouts,’’ Wellwood said. TAB bookmakers have set Hypnos as a $5.50 secondfavourite for the group 1 1600m behind New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Madison County (barrier 1), with Lincoln Falls (barrier 10) labelled a $6 chance.

While their sights are firmly set on Trentham with Hypnos, the Kingsclere Stables team is eyeing a possible tilt at the Karaka Million 3YO Classic later this month with the $50,000 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale purchase.

‘‘The milliondollar race would likely be his last run this preparation. He’s had a rather big preparation,’’ Wellwood said.

It’s only a small field, so we have just got to hope that he has a bit of luck and gets a bit of an economical run

PHOTO: TRISH DUNELL Stepping up . . . Hypnos has trained on well since his Uncle Remus Stakes win (above) and should go a big race in the Levin Classic at Trentham tomorrow, his connections say.