There is plenty of hype surrounding the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) following her dominant debut win at Matamata earlier this month and she will return to her home track this weekend to try and secure black-type.

The daughter of Alabama Express was a 9/12 length victor over 1100m, with her time of 1.03.36 just 0.05 seconds outside of the track record.

While impressed with her winning performance and happy with the way she has come through the run, Ken Kelso is still wary of the step-up in stakes company and meeting the undefeated Group Two winner Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) in Saturday’s Gr.2 J Swap Contractors LTD Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

“She has done pretty well, she has been good in the feed bin and I am happy with her work. It is all systems go,” Kelso told TAB NZ.

“Her time was pretty good at Matamata and she has won well. It is another step up this weekend, she has got to step up to stakes company. Te Akau’s horse (Captured By Love) looks pretty smart, she has won three in a row. It is a big step up, but what she showed the other day, she will hopefully put her hand up.

“It will be nice to have a runner in the Matamata Breeders’, it is a race Matamata trainers all love to win. I think Bounding ran second one year. Hopefully everything goes well and she is competitive.”