Talented sprinter Commanding Hope is nearing his peak for a crack at winning his second stakes race at Caulfield.The six-year-old, who won the 2008 Group Three Bletchingly Stakes (1200m), will contest Saturday's 1100-metre handicap to bring him on for the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) on Boxing Day.Trainer Chris Hyland has given the Commands gelding one run this campaign for a luckless sixth over 1000 metres at Moonee Valley and he is excited about his progress."I thought he ran super first up

Talented sprinter Commanding Hope is nearing his peak for a crack at winning his second stakes race at Caulfield.

The six-year-old, who won the 2008 Group Three Bletchingly Stakes (1200m), will contest Saturday's 1100-metre handicap to bring him on for the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) on Boxing Day.

Trainer Chris Hyland has given the Commands gelding one run this campaign for a luckless sixth over 1000 metres at Moonee Valley and he is excited about his progress.

"I thought he ran super first up," Hyland said.

"He was coming off a break and he was just a tiny bit underdone."

Near the back of the 15-horse field for most of the way, Commanding Hope got held up for a run the straight and was beaten a length at the finish.

"The 1000 metres was always going to be too sharp for him but he ran the quickest last 600, the quickest last 400 and he went to the line getting checked," Hyland said.

"He will run in the 1100 metre race on Saturday then he will be cherry ripe for the Christmas Stakes."

Commanding Hope has raced 23 times and looked to a have big future after his Bletchingly win which was his third in nine starts.

However his career didn't take off as expected and he has won once in his past 14 runs.

Hyland said an injury concern plagued Commanding Hope last campaign after he finished second to Augusta Proud in the Group Three Irwin Stakes (1100m) in Adelaide.

"He had a bit of a tendon last time in and we had lots of trouble with him so we put him out for a month and started again," Hyland said.

"The Christmas Stakes is the race we have aimed him at and he is looking good."

Saturday's sprint has attracted 28 entries and Diplomatic Force (59kg) and Grand Duels (58kg) head the weights.

Steven Arnold will ride Commanding Hope who has 57.5kg while next are Johnny Fiasco (55.5) and Impressive Eagle and Global Warming both with 55kg.