Group 1 winner El Castello will make his long-awaited return in the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday after almost a year on the sidelines.

The Castelvecchio colt was one of Sydney’s standout three-year-olds last spring, winning four straight including the Spring Champion Stakes before finishing fifth in the Victoria Derby (2500m).

Now under the care of Joe Pride, El Castello has shown no signs of the issues that kept him out of the autumn.
“He’s a big boy and he’s got a lot of confidence about him but he’s a serious racehorse,” Pride said.

Pride plans to sharpen him as a sprinter-miler to enhance his future stallion prospects.
“There’s not a lot of appetite at stud for horses who win over 2000 metres and beyond… a race like the Golden Eagle might be a nice race for him,” he said.

El Castello is rated a $31 chance first-up and $26 in early Golden Eagle markets.