Alexiou confident three-year-old can emerge from shadows

A consolation win and a confidence boost is what co-trainer Sterling Alexiou is looking for from consistent galloper Green Shadows as he eyes a breakthrough at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Green Shadows missed a run last weekend when he was left stranded as an emergency in the final race at Randwick, where he was pre-post favourite, so the Robrick Lodge Handicap (1400m) is very much Plan B.

But Alexiou said it’s a good opportunity for the three-year-old to notch his third career win, having not tasted victory since he took out his first two career starts, with 1.5kg off his back for Zac Lloyd.

“It looks like it on paper but they’ve still got to go out there and do it,” Alexiou said.

“He brings good form to that calibre of race and with Zac’s claim he gets into the race with a winnable weight.

“You’re racing for $150,000 on Saturday and he’s a Saturday class horse so it’s a bit disappointing we’ve got to drop back to the midweeks. But if things go to plan he should be mighty hard to beat.”

It’s been a month since Green Shadows had his first start as a gelding with a fast-finishing second behind Phearson at Randwick in a benchmark 78.

On that occasion he was slowly away and conceded a big start but Alexiou said for a first-up run it was a positive start. At the same time, with a tickover trial last week under his belt, he is keen to see the horse convert this opportunity.

“The 1300m was probably a bit short of his best, he’s probably a 1500m-1600m style of horse,” he said. “Brad’s horse (Phearson) stole a bit of a march on the bend that day and had race fitness on its side.