Dreamtime is the only horse to have lowered star two-year-old Lara Antipova’s flag in a public hit-out, and all eyes will be on the Simon and Katrina Alexander-trained filly when she makes her debut at Pukekohe on Wednesday.

The daughter of Time Test beat Lara Antipova in an 800m trial at Ellerslie last October, with Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s gun filly going on to win all three of her raceday starts to date, including the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and is a $1.50 favourite for next week’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.

The Alexanders have taken confidence out of that trial form and are hopeful their filly can bring that to raceday this week when she lines-up in the Stella Artois 1100.

“She wasn’t screwed down tight when she put in that nice trial against Lara Antipova,” Katrina Alexander said. “It’s pretty good form in that respect.”

Initially set to trial on Tuesday, the Alexanders had to quickly come up with a plan B after the two-year-old heats were scrapped at Tauranga, and they have elected to test her under raceday pressure for the first time on Wednesday.

“Whether she is quite fit enough I am not too sure, but she has drawn nicely (3) so I think we will go ahead and run her,” Alexander said. “We need to get going.”

The Te Awamutu couple nominated Dreamtime for next month’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) following her trial win, and Wednesday’s hit-out will give them a gauge on whether they are on track for the Trentham feature.

“We are cutting it fine (with the Manawatu Sires’), but it is a race we thought she would suit at the end of last preparation after she put that trial together,” Alexander said.

“If we don’t make it there, there is also a nice race for her (Listed Star Way Stakes, 1200m). There are still options for her if we don’t reach that target.

“It is nice to have something to work towards.”

Meanwhile, Alexander has been pleased with the way Aksil has come through his Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) sixth placed run and said things didn’t go right for the gelding on the day.

“He was up there four hours before his race and he got sick of the environment a little bit, even before he got to the outside parade ring, and it was quite clear he was above himself,” she said.

“He left the barrier and got himself way handier than what we intended him to do or thought that he would. He found himself in a handy position with a bit too much speed around him and he ran his race a bit early, and he took a bit to settle after that.

“The horse himself pulled up fine, it was just the circumstance of the day with a green horse that we do have to manage right and keep him calm and relaxed prior to racing, and that just didn’t quite work out for him on Saturday unfortunately.”

Alexander said the connections of the horse are still keen to press onto the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Champions Day next week.

“All connections are keen to continue down the nominated path at this stage,” she said. “We still have faith in the horse, he just needs to be ridden a bit colder, and we will make a couple of gear alterations.

“At home he is still a lovely, relaxed horse. He could probably cop a bit more work being dished at him, I may be a bit guilty there that he is still a bit above himself.

“I think we have still got some improvement that we can make out of it and we won’t quite let go of things yet.”