Talented three-year-old I’m All In will be tested in stakes company for the first time at Ruakaka on Sunday, lining up in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

Prepared by Stephen Marsh at Cambridge, I’m All In has been successful in two of his five career starts, including most recently in a dead-heat with race-rival Chicago Jack at the course a fortnight ago.

“We’ll take a dead heat, he didn’t jump from the gates well and it was a funnily run race,” Marsh said.

“It was quite blustery and there were a few green, new horses, so he didn’t get much of a chance to get into a rhythm.

“Even Sam (Spratt, jockey) said she had to push the button on him a bit early and they had a bit of rain overnight, so there were probably a few things against him.

“It looks like we’re going to get a better track with more experienced horses in the field, I think that will help them a lot.”

Marsh elected to leave the son of Zoustar in the north following his last-start efforts, enjoying a change of scenery near the beach at Ruakaka.

“He’s already been to Ruakaka twice now, he was late scratched the time before, so we didn’t feel like he needed another trip,” he said.

“It’s nice to have something new for him and he’s thrived.”

With plenty of strong juvenile form amongst the line-up, Marsh is hopeful I’m All In can make a strong showing of himself in the feature.

“If he’s on his game and has gone ahead a little bit, which we think he has, he has got to be very competitive,” he said.