Quality stayer Signoff is expected to make his return to racing at Caulfield on Boxing Day.
The Darren Weir-trained gelding was scheduled to make his return at Flemington on Saturday but Weir decided he needed a little extra work before his return from injury.
Weir has picked out the Listed Lord Stakes over 1700 metres as the starting point.
Signoff’s autumn campaign was aborted after one run at Flemington in April and the trainer did not think he was forward enough after a minor tendon injury to be a player in the spring.
But Weir, who won the Melbourne Cup with Prince Of Penzance, said he was keen to get the Irish-bred six-year-old back to racing with a view to next year’s Cup.
Signoff finished fourth behind Protectionist in the 2014 Cup after winning his way into the race with victory in the Lexus Stakes three days before.
Signoff had a jump-out at Terang last Tuesday to convince Weir he was getting close to a return.
“He’s in good shape but I just wanted to make sure he’s right as he had a tendon injury,” Weir said.
“There’s no hurry with him but Adelaide is a possibility so he’ll have to kick off pretty soon.”
A son of Authorized, Signoff hasn’t raced since finishing eighth over 1600m at Flemington in April, his only run since the 2014 Cup.
