Impressive gelding It's Crunch Time will be out to improve on an already impressive first-up record when he starts at Caulfield on Saturday.

And trainer Doug Harrison is confident of a solid run, despite recent treatment for the five-year-old's long-term foot problems.

It's Crunch Time jumps in the Mal Seccull Handicap (1000m) backed by a record of running in the top two 10 times from 12 starts.

His most recent success was the Listed Newmarket Handicap in Launceston in November, after which he was spelled.

Harrison said his horse was back in peak condition but took some time to recover from the Tasmanian trip.

"He looks good now. It took a couple of weeks to get him back over from Tassie," he said.

"He just has a little trouble with his feet, he's broken a bit of hoof away and I'm just trying to get some shoes for him," Harrison said.

"He hasn't got the best of feet. When he got back here we had to change the shoes again so we had to get those settled down first.

"He gets a little bit sore when he's re-shod."

For such a consistent placegetter, It's Crunch Time has endured a string of health issues.

"He's always shown ability but with his feet we've just got to watch things."

Last winter It's Crunch time suffered more than usual over a brief spell.

"He got an abscess in one foot in June and I got that right then he got an abscess in the other foot, then he had an abscess come up on his neck which we'd never seen before," Harrison said.

But from his debut run, when he ran second to major money winner Free Return, the trainer has always seen potential and now wants to extend his trip.

"I think he's still untapped," he said.