Lamasery is one of two horses trainer David Vandyke has in the Kingston Town Stakes

David Vandyke will run his two Kingston Town Stakes hopefuls against each other in this Saturday’s race at Rosehill.

The Warwick Farm trainer will run both five-year-old Lamasery and Hidden Gem in the $125,000 feature.

Commands gelding Lamasery finished fourth in his first-up run at Rosehill last start behind Peter Snowden’s Raspberries.

“He didn’t have much luck,” Vandyke said.

Apprentice Blake Spriggs was forced to sit further back than planned during the race.

“He ended up going back three lengths further than he would have liked,” Vandyke said.

“If he’d waited and he went back to the insight in hindsight it would have been the better option.

“I think he was in search of better going.”

Vandyke is confident that Lamasery is primed for Saturday’s race.

“I wasn’t going to start the horse unless I was 100% happy with him,” Vandyke said.

“He’s a lot tougher horse this preparation… his constitution is a bit better.

“He’s a very tough horse and he knows what he’s out there for and it really took him a preparation to work that all out.

“I think he’s going to run a really good race again on Saturday.”

The trainer is hopeful that Lamasery will outdo hot favourite Altius in the 2,000 metre race.

“He (Altius) is with a great trainer and his form is winter form and we have really great autumn form”

While Lamasery is amongst the final acceptors for the Kingston Town Stakes, Vandyke is carefully watching the weather in Sydney leading up to Saturday’s race.

“I don’t want to run him on a wet track,” he said.

“If that comes and we do get rain tomorrow (and) if I’m not happy we’ll freshen him up and run him in the (Group 3) Cameron (Handicap) on Wednesday.”

Lamasery is nominated for the Epsom Handicap, The Metropolitan and the Melbourne Cup this spring.

Vandyke will also line up Hidden Gem in the race.

“Hidden Gem is more a sit and sprint horse, he’s got an electrifying dash,” Vandyke said.

Hidden Gem finished tenth in the Listed Premier’s Cup last start.

“The race was definitely run not to suit him last start,” Vandyke said.

“(But) he ran the fastest last 400 of the day.

“I was a bit nervous with the bad draw because I knew he would be more than likely at the back of the field.

“That was his downfall.”

Hidden Gem is also nominated for this year’s Melbourne Cup, as well as the $2.5 million Caulfield Cup in October.