Stakes-placed three-year-old Old Trieste looks ready for a first-up kill when he resumes at Kilmore today.

The Andrew Noblet-trained gelding makes his first appearance for 10 months in the Wandong Bus and Coach Plate over 1100 metres.

Although off the scene for a long time, Old Trieste will be fit for his return after a recent Cranbourne barrier trial and has the city form to suggest he has the wood on his rivals.

Old Trieste may have only placed in two of seven career runs but has consistently raced in stakes and city grade.

Old Trieste debuted with a two-length second in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate before continuing his juvenile campaign to Queensland, running fourth at Group 3 level before finishing down the track in the Magic Millions Classic.

He reappeared for three more runs towards the end of his two-year-old year – all in Melbourne – and didn’t finish worse than fifth.

He ran into subsequent stakes class gallopers in the first two of those, a four-length fourth to Bassett and Kinglike over 1100 metres at Caulfield then was less than three lengths off Kinglike at Moonee Valley.

In his last appearance he was third at Flemington to El Greco, another to go on to place at stakes level in the spring.

Today’s race is Old Trieste’s first start outside of the city and the ratings he has collected during his career suggest he only has to be somewhere near his best to have an edge on his rivals.

Hardest to beat could be Joyano, who does hold a fitness edge over Old Trieste after two runs from a spell.

Both efforts have been good with a first-up third to subsequent city winner Miss Vista at Ballarat then she got within 0.3 lengths of Tycoon Kate at Pakenham.

While her ratings don’t match up to Old Trieste, she does appear to be on an upward spiral and looks capable of going to a new level today.

The resuming Poppyice also looks a filly of some promise.

She has made just the one career start in August last year but her effort was sound when a 1.35 length second over 983 metres at Swan Hill when getting to the line well.

Given time to mature since, she is likely to be a stronger filly this time around and expect she will be more at home at today’s 1100 metre journey.

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