Three-year-old Aspect is reportedly in excellent condition ahead of his competitive return in Saturday’s Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield Racecourse.

Aspect has only made a handful of appearances at the races since making his debut during the late stages of the Spring Carnival last year, but is a colt to follow through his three-year-old campaign after producing several smart performances and results as a juvenile.

Foreman for trainer Tony McEvoy’s Melbourne stables, Michael Shepherdson believes that the Vain Stakes might be a little short for the Pluck gelding and is confident that he will take wholesale benefit from whatever he produces in the race.

“It’s a bit short of his best but it’s a nice race to ride him patiently and then build through his gears,” Shepherdson told AAP.

“Normally we would give him a couple of trials going into his first-up run but he’s only had the one and he’ll go into the race fresh.

“He’s a big, stretchy horse that was gelded after his last prep.”

Shepherdson is confident that Aspect will relish getting out to a trip this time and believes that the Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m) may figure as his major campaign target.

“If he can settle in his races he might get a little bit further than the other guys so the Caulfield Classic could be a possibility,” he said.

Debuting to racing for a smart win in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) on November 5^th, Aspect returned to the races this year for seventh in in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) and failed to fire second-up when ninth in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).

Running an agonizingly-close second in the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) on March 11^th, Aspect was last seen finishing towards the tail of the field in the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) on Day 1 of The Championships.

The 2017 Vain Stakes field and barrier draw is due to be completed and released by midday, Wednesday.

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