A new phase awaits stakes victor Royal Insignia as he makes his comeback in the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate prior to a potential Queensland winter series.

After securing the Group 3 Manfred Stakes as a three-year-old, Royal Insignia struggled with form, leading his team to reluctantly geld the son of Written Tycoon.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but he just wasn’t putting it all together on race days, even though he has shown an enormous amount of ability,” trainer Grahame Begg said.

“So we bit the bullet and gelded him.”

The four-year-old last competed when well beaten in the Testa Rossa Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on November 29, with Begg preparing him via two jump outs and a trial for his fresh appearance in the Wagga Town Plate (1200m) on Thursday.

He typically performs solidly first-up, boasting a victory and two minor placings from four such starts, aside from a near-miss fourth in a Group 2 contest during the spring.

Should he meet expectations, a journey north to Queensland could follow, targeting something like the Group 2 Morton Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm on June 6, and Begg hasn’t dismissed the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) seven days afterward should the gelding qualify.

“He needs to get his rating up. But there are other races outside that, plenty of lovely races up there. The Moreton Cup over 1200, and there are races on Tatt’s Day,” he said.

Forty horses have nominated for the Town Plate, the highlight on day one of the two-day Wagga carnival.

Last year’s top two finishers, Compelling Truth and Gravina, feature in the entries, as does Friday’s Listed Wagga Cup (2000m) with 29 nominations, including repeat contenders Flying Bandit and Bianco Vilano from 12 months prior.

Check out the top Australian betting sites for the latest racing betting markets on the Wagga Town Plate.