Xidaki is set to resume in the Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday, with connections hoping it will be the start of a campaign that culminates in a bid for the Stradbroke Handicap.

Trainer Peter Snowden reported that Xidaki has returned bigger than ever this preparation and views the added weight as a positive.

“He looks a bit like Santa Claus at the moment, he’s got a bit of condition on him,” Snowden said. “But he is the best he has ever looked.”

Xidaki resumed last spring with a narrow loss in the Silver Eagle (1300m) and later placed in the Festival Stakes (1500m) and finished midfield in The Ingham (1600m).

Snowden has made a gear change, adding a cross-over noseband to help Xidaki settle better during races, as his previous tendency to become too keen was costing him victories.

“I’ve put a cross-over noseband on him because he was getting too keen last campaign,” Snowden explained. “If he can race more settled, he can win a good race.”

While aiming for the winter carnival, Snowden expects Xidaki to improve deeper into his preparation, but cautions not to underestimate him, especially first-up.

“Never dismiss him because he is a genuine, honest horse,” Snowden said. Xidaki has placed in three of his four first-up runs, including a narrow second in last year’s Silver Eagle.