Rock N Roll Doo, one of the superstars of Australian harness racing last season, returns to the track for Burrumbeet trainer Michael Stanley.
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He has his first start since February in the Western Grant Free-For-All at Melton on Saturday night.
The five-year-old makes his return off three strong trials.
Rock N Roll caught the imagination of the harness racing world last year with consecutive wins in the group 1 Caduceus Classic, group 2 Kilmore Pacing Cup and group 1 Victoria Cup.
This led to a trip to the New Zealand Cup.
He returned to finish third in the Cranbourne Cup before racing below his best in the Bendigo Ballarat and AG Hunter Cups, after which he went to the paddock.
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"He had two soft trials prior to a slightly more serious trial at Melton where I dropped him out and let him run home," Stanley told harness.org.au
"This preparation will be a measured one where he will start where I want him to."
Stanley said he and owner Brendan James had deliberately not over-raced the five-year-old.
"We have not taken him all over the place for the big races, we have planned what feature races he contests and stuck to it," he said.
Stanley said Rock N Roll Doo would follow the same pathway into the Victoria Cup as last year, with Saturday night's outing followed by appearances in the Caduceus Club Classic and Kilmore Cup.
Rock N Roll Doo runs into a powerful line-up from the Cardigan stable of Emma Stewart.
She has five starters - Inter Dominion placegetter Act Now, proven grand circuit campaigners Mach Dan and Hurricane Harley, and top class mares Encipher and Petillante stepping out in open free-for-all company for the first time.
The Myrniong stable of Jess Tubb is also sending around last-start winner Better Eclipse.
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