One of last season’s leading juveniles will make a belated start to her three-year-old career at Trentham on Saturday.

The talented Steel Rose will resume against her own age group in the Gazley Cup after an injury-forced break.

“She had a stress fracture on the fibula bone in her back leg,” New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler said.

“We had to keep her confined for a month and then in the paddock for a couple of months to let it settle down.”

Steel Rose won the Listed Wentwood Grange Stakes at her second appearance and then finished runner-up to Vinnie Eagle in the Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes before she claimed the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes.

She added a runner-up finish in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes to her CV and hasn’t been sighted since she was unplaced in the Gr.1 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie.

“She obviously hasn’t raced for a long time,” Wheeler said. “She’s well, but she will improve.

“I would have liked to have given her a trial at Waverley, but the track was too hard and I’ve been galloping her at the beach.”

Wheeler will also be represented in the Gr.2 Platinum Homes Wellington Cup by Awesome Goal, who disappointed in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes.

“I don’t know why he went so terribly last week,” he said. “He has been up for a while since he came over from Melbourne.

“It could be that or the hard tracks, he’s got quite shelly feet but he is very sound at the moment.”

Wheeler attributed new surroundings for Awesome Goal’s run of form that has seen him win three races, including the Dunstan Championship Final.

“The horse loves being out in a paddock and going to the beach – he could swim to Australia he’s that enthusiastic,” he said.