Archie Alexander’s gelding heading Somewhere

Archie Alexander is not sure exactly what path Somewhere will take him on in 2025, but that is part of what has the Ballarat trainer so excited about his impending stable star.

The grey gelding, whose only two starts have realised a brilliant maiden win and an unlucky Group 2 Sandown Guineas placing, is progressing well in his work after a three-week early-summer spell.

Alexander is working around getting the son or Puissance De Lune to the Group 1 Australian Guineas second-up, via either the Autumn Stakes or C S Hayes Stakes, but the one thing Somewhere has already taught him is to have an open book.

“He’ll trial early February and then you can either go the Autumn Stakes or the C S Hayes Stakes,” Alexander said.

“Then he’s either two weeks into the Guineas or three weeks into the Guineas, but he’ll definitely be second-up into the Guineas providing he’s going well and he trials well.

“He looks a horse that could be sharp enough for a Guineas, but being a Puissance De Lune, but he might into a Derby horse at some stage.”

The Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) is at Caulfield on February 8, a week before the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) with the 1600m Australian Guineas to be run at Flemington on March 1.

Alexander could not have been happier with what he saw from Somewhere in his debut preparation.

He won easily over 1400m at Ballarat before going down by less than 1-1/2 lengths in the Sandown Guineas when crowded for room on multiple occasions in the final 400m.

“We thought he was a nice horse but probably not as nice as he’s ended up,” Alexander said.

“When you go from maiden to Group race you’re always holding your breath, so to see him go that well was really pleasing.”

Somewhere carries the colours of leading owner Gerry Ryan, who also raced Puissance De Lune and Somewhere’s dam Crimson Tears, a Japan ese daughter of Heart’s Cry who won two of 14 starts in Australia.