Toowoomba trainer Shaun Dwyer will run Anudjawun in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse this weekend as a warm up for some of the spring carnival’s feature staying races.

The six-year-old gelding finished well back in eleventh in his first-up run in Melbourne over 1,200 metres two weeks ago.

Despite the seemingly poor result, Dwyer was encouraged by what he saw.

“It was a very good first-up run,” he said.

“I didn’t realise until later in the week that he ran the third fastest last 200 metres of the race so that (is a good indication) for where we want to go and the horse is coming along nicely.

“He’s always been a horse that needs that first kick along and hopefully now each run he’ll keep kicking on.”

Dwyer said that Anudjawun has recovered well from his most recent start and is in good order ahead of his Memsie Stakes run on Saturday.

“He came through it pretty well,” Dwyer said.

“He got back going pretty well straight away.

“I’m very happy with him.

“He’s had a couple of good gallops this week over 1,000 metres.”

The trainer had initially planned to run Anudjawun in a handicap race this weekend; however, a poor ballot number meant he did not make the field.

Dwyer is hoping that Anudjawun, who is working his way towards some of the better staying races of the spring, will make himself known in the Memsie.

“We originally wanted to run him in a handicap but he got balloted out of it- he was 21- so this is our second choice,” Dwyer said.

“The only thing I can say about this race is that there are some very well performed horses- (such as) Anacheeva and Mick Price’s Heart Of Dreams-, so probably real weight-for-age horses.

“But probably two third of this field is on the same boat as him.

“So I am hoping that he can race well in this company considering he’s got the 59 (kilograms) and if he finishes mid-field or somewhere a little bit better I’ll be ecstatic.”

Anudjawun is likely to be ridden in his usual backmarker style in this Saturday’s race.

“I don’t know if we want to go changing his pattern too much,” Dwyer said.

“We’ve spent four years turning this horse into a genuine staying type of horse.

“(Jockey) Michelle (Payne) said he could of been a lot closer last time.

“She actually sort of restrained him a little bit.

“We’ll probably be looking for that again.

“(So) he may travel a little bit closer but we won’t be looking to change his racing pattern.”