A change of scenery at a new stable has turned around the career of the former Lee Freedman-trained four-year-old Asphalt Jungle.Still a maiden and a noted rogue when he joined the Bill and Symon Wilde stable at Warrnambool earlier this year, Asphalt Jungle has won three of his four starts this campaign and was unlucky on the other occasion when he finished second.Now he is ready to make his city debut at Sandown in Wednesday's Hyperno Handicap (1800m) which could prove an omen with the race nam

A change of scenery at a new stable has turned around the career of the former Lee Freedman-trained four-year-old Asphalt Jungle.

Still a maiden and a noted rogue when he joined the Bill and Symon Wilde stable at Warrnambool earlier this year, Asphalt Jungle has won three of his four starts this campaign and was unlucky on the other occasion when he finished second.

Now he is ready to make his city debut at Sandown in Wednesday's Hyperno Handicap (1800m) which could prove an omen with the race named after a rogue galloper who ended up winning the 1979 Melbourne Cup.

"Really he (Asphalt Jungle) should be four from four and have a picket fence beside his name but he was badly ridden when he finished second at Warrnambool three starts ago," Symon Wilde said.

He said Asphalt Jungle's erratic behaviour made him a work in progress but the signs were encouraging that the worst was behind him.

"He was a really hard horse to handle when we first got him," Wilde said.

"He would whip around on you when he was on the track and wouldn't go and other stuff like that, but his behaviour is getting better all the time and his racing manners are getting better."

He said graduating to city grade was a major move but there was plenty to like about Asphalt Jungle going into the race.

"We got him as a maiden so this is a quantum leap for him but he has done everything we have asked," Wilde said.

"He's an improving horse and he is about ready for this.

"The distance is ideal on a nice big track where he will have plenty of time to wind up and he's thrown in nicely at the weights."

With a 1.5kg claim for apprentice Dean Holland, Asphalt Jungle will carry only 52.5kg compared to 58kg when he won his maiden at Terang on February 2.

At his last two starts at Ballarat he was ridden by Jamie Mott and won with 56.5kg and 57.5kg.

Wilde said there hadn't been a special formula to mending the ways of Asphalt Jungle but for giving him a good spell before putting him into work.

He said the son of Jungle Pocket was still learning and at his last two starts had won despite getting lost when he hit the front.

"He is a quirky horse and stops and waits a bit," Wilde said.

"Last start at the top of the straight he was going to win by panels and ended up winning by less than a length because he got to the front a bit too soon.

"He did the same sort of thing at his start before that as well."