Gold Coast trainer John Wallace is looking forward to seeing improvement from his High Chaparral four-year-old Shoot Out when the galloper takes their spot in a Group 1 field at Royal Randwick on Easter Saturday.

Queensland gelding Shoot Out is one of 13 horses accepted for this year’s $400,000 Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) on Sydney Cup Day.

Drawn ideally in barrier two and due to be ridden by champion jockey Corey Brown, Shoot Out is just two runs into this preparation having failed to make an impression first-up.

“I think Shoot Out is ready now to show his true form” Brown said.

“He needs to show something on Saturday to say he is back and I’m confident he will do that.”

Resuming a fortnight ago in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick, Shoot Out failed to come within 11 lengths when a well-beaten ninth to superstar Black Caviar.

“I think he just needed the run, he had a good blow afterwards and I think he just got run off his legs as well,” Wallace said of Shoot Out in the TJ Smith Stakes.

“He raced like a stayer coming out of a Melbourne Cup, a horse like Shocking raced half the same early in his preparation in Melbourne too.”

The TJ Smith Stakes was Shoot Out’s first defeat at Randwick, the track where he won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas – Australia Derby double at last year.

“We know he is definitely better than what he showed first-up so I’m expecting a much improved effort from him on Saturday and he should be in the finish,” Brown said.

Stepping up to a more suitable 1400m on Saturday, Shoot Out is ready to return to last year’s form.

“They went likcety-split in the TJ Smith and they were too good for him over the 1200 metres,” Wallace said.

Shoot Out also enjoyed a solid winter / spring campaign last year winning back-to-back Group races at Caulfield before placing in a number of other major showdowns including his game third, beaten just a quarter of a length by veteran Zipping in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in October.

In his two other elite-level starts during the spring Shoot Out finished fourth to So You Think in both the prestigious Cox Plate and Mackinnon Stakes before fading to finish 13^th to Americain in the 2010 Melbourne Cup.

Shoot Out impressed Wallace with a solid 1000m hitout earlier in the week, working impressively on the dirt at Randwick.

“I was very happy with his work this morning (Tuesday), he worked like the Shoot Out of old,” Wallace said.

“And he’s definitely done well since his first-up run.

“With the way he worked I’d be very disappointed if he doesn’t run a good race on Saturday.”

Shoot Out is rated a $12 chance in the All Aged Stakes markets that are dominated by $2.10 favourite Hay List.

“He’s in good order and I’m hopeful of a lot better race because I was a bit disappointed in his run first-up,” Wallace said.

“This (the All Aged Stakes) is a totally different style of race.

“I think you’ll find a different horse on Saturday and I just hope he keeps improving because his main goals are the races in Brisbane.”

A hopefully improved performance from Shoot Out in the All Aged Stakes will be followed by a trip back up to Queensland for the winter carnival.

Wallace is aiming Shoot Out for the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) on his home track at the Gold Coast before the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 21.