Trainer Tony McEvoy will use the Up And Coming Stakes at Randwick to test Affirmation’s Golden Rose prospects.

Affirmation was floated to from South Australia to McEvoy’s Hawkesbury base on the outskirts of Sydney after he scored a dominant win at Caulfield to end his juvenile season two weeks ago.

“He took a few days to settle in to Hawkesbury but he seems nice and bright,” McEvoy said.

“If he pleases me over the next 10 days or so we’ll run him in the Up And Coming Stakes.

“If he shows to me that he will be a competitor in the Golden Rose, we’ll go there.”

The Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) is at Randwick on Saturday week, three weeks before the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill.

Affirmation, a $21 Golden Rose chance, has already raced in Sydney, finishing fifth in the Inglis Classic (1200m) on debut at Randwick in January.

The Inglis Classic was won by subsequent Group One Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Peggy Jean with stakes winner Boomwaa second.

Affirmation, who was gelded after the Inglis Classic, resumed with a maiden win at Morphettville early last month before impressing with a three-length win over 1400m at Caulfield on July 26.

“I’ve always thought a fair bit of him and took him to Sydney for his first start in the Inglis Classic and he just made a few mistakes there,” McEvoy said.

“Nash Rawiller felt he should have won that race.

“He won his maiden nicely first-up and then he was very good at Caulfield.

“He has still got to do a bit more for me before I can say where he is going to be at, but Mark Zahra got off him the other day and said he felt like a black type horse to him.”