Blaike McDougall can finish a frustrating season on a high with Scone trainer Stephen Jones keeping faith in the suspension-prone apprentice at Rosehill.

McDougall enjoyed a morale-boosting win for Jones at a Warwick Farm midweek meeting earlier this month, and he has a chance to salute again on three-year-old Akasaki.

Master to McDougall’s father Ron during his two decades training in Sydney, Jones had no hesitation retaining the apprentice despite his chequered record marred by eight suspensions.

“He’s obviously trying hard, I’ve got a lot of time for him and I think he rides good,” Jones said.

Akasaki returns to Sydney for a Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) on Saturday.

McDougall heads to Rosehill with 44 winners statewide but after a strong start suspensions impacted on his metropolitan workload.

Jones was confident McDougall, who only has one ride on Saturday, would have a trouble-free journey from barrier seven.

“I think he’ll get the run of the race from there,” he said.

“He doesn’t have to lead, he can take a sit.

“It doesn’t matter what happens, Blaike can gauge him. He’s had a ride on him now.”

Jones inherited Akasaki from Todd Willan’s Muswellbrook stable in December and was pleased with a preparation that has yielded two wins and a third from four starts.

“If he takes the next step, we’ll look for something a little bit better. The carnival is coming up, I’m sure there’ll be something there to suit him,” he said.

Credit: AAP