Trainer Mitchell Freedman is excited to welcome back his Group 1-winning mare Skybird in Saturday’s Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.

The sprinter has not raced since her victory in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in February, sidelined by a pectoral muscle injury.

Freedman has steadily built her fitness with trials at Sandown, Caulfield Heath and Horsham, where she showed strong improvement.

“We’re rapt to get her back,” Freedman said. “It’s been a big effort by the whole team to get her back to where she is now.”

Skybird will remain in sprinting races after past attempts over longer distances, including the The Golden Eagle. Freedman said she could handle more ground in certain races but felt she was best kept short.

Future targets could include the Manikato Stakes (1200m) and potentially The Everest (1200m), though interest from slot holders has been limited.

Drawn barrier five in a 15-horse field, Skybird’s first priority is to return safely and lay the groundwork for the rest of her spring.