Golden Rose winner Trapeze Artist won the most watched barrier trial so far this year, almost without being noticed, and trainer Gerald Ryan believes it is all the tune up the three-year-old needs for a winning return in Saturday's Expressway Stakes at Randwick.
Trapeze Artist led home a star-studded trial that included Winx last Monday and is ready to get going early.
"I just wanted him to have one trial and come back in this race because he will only have to carry 55kg, instead of 60 with the penalty in the Eskimo Prince," Ryan said. "It is a good place for him to begin against the older horses and it would be a nice race for him to have on his record.
"He has grown and strengthened up like you would have expected him to over his break and it will be good to see him back on the track.
"He is still a bull, but the owner Bert [Vieira] is keen to keep racing, even though a couple of calls have come from studs.
"Unless they come up with a very big figure, Bert wants to enjoy this bloke on the track for as long as possible."
Ryan is confident Trapeze Artist continues to improve after winning a Black Opal, being sixth in the Golden Slipper and placed in the Sires as a two-year-old before taking out the Golden Rose in the spring.
"He was always going to get better and stronger and people kept underestimating him," Ryan said. "It would be good to have a weight-for-age win under his belt and then we will look towards the Guineas.
"I don't think the mile is going to be a problem for him because he is big and strong now."
Tim Clark, who won the Black Opal, has been booked to ride Trapeze Artist at the 55kg but Tye Angland is still the preferred jockey for later in the campaign.
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