David Hall's new acquisition Fun Kingdom will need somewhat further than the 1,200m of his local debut event on Saturday, but the four-year-old caught the eye and looks a coming winner.
The sprint trip on the all-weather course was always going to prove too short for Fun Kingdom, who had not raced below 1,400m in his three starts in New Zealand.
Even in winning his debut at 1,400m there, Fun Kingdom looked in need of further and he was stepped up in distance each run with the best of his three starts his final outing at Taupo over 1,800m.
Fun Kingdom stormed home that day to win impressively and left no doubt that 2,000m would hold no fears for him.
In Saturday's conditions on the dirt, it seemed very difficult to make serious ground and so Fun Kingdom's finishing run into seventh was full of merit, taking almost three lengths off the winner Pablosky and runner-up Hearts Keeper in the run down the straight.
It was the kind of opening bid Hall will have wanted to see from the gelding at the unsuitable trip, so Fun Kingdom will be well worth keeping in mind whenever he gets to a distance of a mile or longer.
Another Private Purchase who may be ready to improve now is Paul O'Sullivan-trained Photon Willie.
Photon Willie has ruined his own chances by racing fiercely ever since he arrived last season to Tony Cruz's yard with an 85 rating, and he moved to O'Sullivan this term.
The New Zealander appears to be starting to get on top of the problem, with Photon Willie a little more relaxed now, although he was assisted by a strong pace in Saturday's 1,400m race won by Brilliant Shine.
Encountering trouble in the straight as he worked home to be beaten just on three lengths, Photon Willie should have finished closer than ninth and is looking well placed now that his rating has tumbled to 72.
A winner of four of 10 in Sydney, from 1,200m to 1,600m, Photon Willie probably looks best suited in races shorter than the mile, where he can get some tempo, but his winning turn should not be far off.
