Last year’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) winner Close Up made his first appearance on a race track in nine months at the Te Rapa trials on Wednesday and could be set for a race day return as soon as Saturday.

The Shinko King rising nine-year-old finished second to quality mare Melody Belle by a long neck in their 900m heat on Te Rapa’s inside track and trainer Shelley Hale was satisfied with his performance.

“I’m pretty happy with what I saw,” the Cambridge conditioner said.

“It looked like they couldn’t do a lot with them on that track, but it’s a day out and he’s had a sweat, a shake and a gallop so we’re all good.”

Close Up hasn’t been seen since pulling up sore after his seventh-placing in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings last year and Hale has given him plenty of time to recover.

“He pulled up a little sore after the Livamol, so we gave him a good break, got him all over that,” Hale said.

He had a standout spring last year, having won the Tarzino Trophy and was runner-up in the Gr.2 Lisa ChittickFoxbridge Plate (1200m) and Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m), and Hale is eyeing a similar path this year despite a recent hiccup in his preparation.

“He was actually ready to kick-off about a month ago, but he got a bit of colic and that just set him back a bit,” she said.“Now we’re just trying to make up lost time.

“He’ll have pretty similar spring targets (as last year). We’ll just see how he gets through this. He could even kick-off at Te Rapa this Saturday in the Open 1200, but he’ll step out pretty soon.

“I’m very happy with how he went today, he has pulled up well.”