Brother and sister training partners Patrick and Michelle Payne are aware of the transition horses must make from their three-year-old year to their four-year-old season.
A case in point is Bold Soul who has won five of his 16 starts but has gone winless through his four-year-old year to date.
The Payne's are hoping that will be rectified on Saturday when Bold Soul runs in the TAB We're On (2520m) at Flemington.
Bold Soul had an exceptional start to his racing career, starting with maiden win at Donald in November 2023, graduating to city success at Flemington two starts later before heading to Tasmania where he won the Launceston Guineas and the Tasmanian Derby.
Later in the campaign, Bold Soul was taken to Adelaide when he was placed in the Port Adelaide Guineas, won the Group 3 Chairman's Stakes (2000m) before a midfield finish in the Group 1 South Australian Derby.
In all, Bold Soul raced nine times through his three-year-old season for five wins and was unplaced in just one of those outings.
Bold Soul's four-year-old season has been a contrast with the gelding filling a place just once in his seven outings.
That was at Ballarat last December, although Michelle Payne said the signs were there at Caulfield last Saturday that Bold Soul was about to return to winning form.
Payne has had a lot to do with Bold Soul over his brief career, travelling him to Tasmania last year and staying on with him in Adelaide.
"I think sometimes when they go from those three-year-old years and then racing up against those older horses as four-year-olds, it can take a little bit of time to level out," Payne said.
"But he's getting stronger all the time.
"He's been building up and his last run was really good. He was back for a long way, and he hit the line well and he's getting to a distance that should suit him.
"He's also going to like a bit of give in the ground."
Payne said as part of Bold Soul's conditioning and strengthening, the four-year-old has done some jumping at her brother's Plumpton property.
"They always do a bit of jumping out there. They love it," she said.
