Trainer Darren Weir will roll out the first of his spring carnival aspirants in the final Group race of the season at Caulfield.
Multiple stakes winning colt Mahuta is set to resume in Saturday’s Group Three Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) for his first start since being unplaced in the Australian Guineas in March.
A prolific winner during the 2015/16 season with six wins from his nine starts, Mahuta is being aimed at next month’s Memsie Stakes at Caulfield, the first Group One race of the upcoming season.
“He’s still big and woolly and gross but he’s a powerful, big horse now,” Weir said.
“He’s had two jump-outs and the second one was good.
“He’ll run in the P B Lawrence Stakes at his next start after the Bletchingly and then into the Memsie third-up.”
The Memsie is a chance for Mahuta to snare a valuable Group One win early in the season with race fitness on his side.
“That’s his go, 1400 metres at Caulfield up on the speed,” Weir said.
“Whether he’s good enough, I’m not sure, but he’s been a great horse for the connections.”
Before his 14th placing in his first Group One test in the Australian Guineas, Mahuta strung together six-straight wins including the Group Two Sandown Guineas, the Magic Millions Guineas, and Group Two Autumn Stakes spanning across spring and summer.
A $35,000 yearling, Mahuta has earned almost $1.7 million prize money from his nine starts.
Weir also plans to have Thermal Current in the Bletchingly Stakes.
Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance is slated to make his spring return in the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington in September along with new stablemate, Japanese horse Tosen Stardom.
Import Raw Impulse is also being readied for a Makybe Diva Stakes return.
Weir says Australian Guineas winner Palentino is a couple of weeks behind Mahuta as he prepares for his new season return.
