Thorn Prince has been rewarded with an easier task this weekend after giving a good account of himself last time out against the country’s leading weight-for-age performers.

The stakes winner will run in Saturday’s Listed Merial Ancare Metric Mile at Awapuni, but it will only provide a brief respite away from the best of company.

While unplaced, Thorn Prince’s effort to finish five and a half lengths away from Kawi in last month’s Gr.1 Makfi Challenge Stakes satisfied his trainer Fraser Auret.

“I thought the run had a fair bit of merit,” he said. “We were banking on a wetter track to bring him into it and to be fair to the horse he didn’t disgrace himself over 1400 metres.

“He’s in good touch and it will be a step down in class on Saturday and the 1600 metres will help him. He ran second to Puccini in the race last year.”

Safely through Awapuni, Auret intends to head back to Hastings for the Gr.1 Livamol Classic on October 3.

“If there is any moisture around it will help him in that sort of company,” he said. “He will be back up to a distance that he is more comfortable at and it looks the right race to have a crack at.”

Thorn Prince has a good strike rate of nine wins from his 32 starts and he turned in a strong effort to claim the Listed Taumarunui Gold Cup under 59kg during the winter.

Third in the Te Rapa event the previous year, the gelding has also placed at black type level in the Manawatu ITM Anzac 1600 and the Ag Challenge Stakes.