The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Recommendation made a giant leap in the autumn to become a Stakes winner.

And if the now four-year-old is to be a player in the upcoming Spring Carnival, the son of Shalaa will need to again take that next step.

Recommendation is down to run first-up in the Gwenda Fitzgerald Handicap (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday where the trainers will get a better guide as to where the sprinter sits after the race.

After starting his career in NSW where he registered three wins in five starts, Recommendation was sent to Melbourne in the autumn where he was successful in the Group 3 Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Sandown in February.

That victory followed a benchmark 64 grade race at Canterbury over 1250m earlier that month.

Recommendation had earlier registered wins in NSW at Gosford and Muswellbrook at his first two starts before the gelding made a trip to Brisbane where he was unplaced.

Eustace said Recommendation was a progressive three-year-old last campaign that took the required step to win at Stakes level.

Now he hopes the gelding can again take that next step to be a spring contender.

“He’s a Stakes winner and he had an improved preparation last time in going from winning a 64 to a Stakes race,” Eustace said.

“He was a progressive three-year-old last campaign.

“He looks like he’s improved physically and he’s going to need to be being into his four-year-old year now and being against more seasoned sprinters, so he’s going to need to step up.

“But he hasn’t missed a beat. He’s had a very good prep and we’re very happy with him leading into this race.”

Last season’s premiership winning Melbourne apprentice Carleen Hefel has the ride on Saturday, with her 1.5kg claim bringing the gelding in with 58.5kg.