After recently falling short in his bid to join international sprint star Takeover Target in the record books, Captain Bax is primed for victory at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Kris Lees has been delighted with the seven-year-old since his gallant second to The Jackal in the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton on July 16.

The Snippets gelding lines up on Saturday in the first Sydney stakes race of the new season, the Group Three Missile Stakes (1100m).

“He’s been given a little freshen-up and has done so well and I’m expecting him to run a big race,” Lees said.

“He got back a little bit further than I would have liked in the Ramornie because of his wide gate (14) but the run was full of merit and I can’t take anything from the winner, he won very well.”

Two starts back Captain Bax charged home to score a thrilling victory in the Pacesetter Stakes at Gosford to earn a crack at the double achieved by the great Takeover Target in 2004.

Tim Clark, who has ridden Captain Bax at his last three starts, again has the ride on Saturday and will be up against the horse he landed his first Group One victory on in this year’s The Galaxy, Typhoon Zed.

“Tim knows the horse very well now and I’m confident that he’ll make the right decisions on the day,” Lees said.

“He’s always got to be ridden patiently and from that alley (three) we’ll probably see him slot in midfield somewhere and saved up for a crack at them later.

“It looks an even race and there’s a little bit of the unknown with a good filly like Danehill Smile resuming, but my bloke’s going well and hopefully we can kick off the season perfectly.”

The Denise McGrath-trained Keen Commander is the TAB Sportsbet fixed odds favourite for the Missile Stakes at $2.90.

Keen Commander won the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) in February and is coming off a half-head second in The Galaxy in March.

Typhoon Zed, from the Tim Martin stable, is the $3.60 second pick while the Anthony Cummings-trained Danehill Smile, who is returning from a series of injuries, is the third favourite at $4.60.

The one-time Golden Slipper fancy is undefeated from three starts including her last-start five-length Inglis Classic win over Goldam last year.

The Con Karakatsanis-trained Goldam is rated a $26 chance.
(Source: AAP)