Tony McEvoy is convinced recent stable acquisition Mr Chard is capable of returning to stakes winning form in his latest comeback from injury.

McEvoy will start Mr Chard in Saturday’s Group Three Aurie’s Star Handicap, the entire’s second start since he spent 71 weeks off the scene because of suspensory ligament issues.

Formerly trained by Dean Lawson before joining McEvoy’s stable earlier this year, Mr Chard won a Listed race and the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes as a spring three-year-old in 2010 and was fourth in the Australian Guineas the following autumn before injury ruled him out for a year.

The son of Al Samer has not won since his three-year-old season but McEvoy was delighted with his second in an 1100m event at Morphettville two weeks ago, his first start for the trainer.

“He’s a horse with a lot of quality and I think he can get back to that level, for sure,” McEvoy said.

The Cox Plate-winning trainer is hoping Mr Chard won’t find the 1200m too short second-up at Flemington having planned to give the seven-year-old two starts over shorter distances before stepping him out to 1600m in the Listed Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury on August 21.

Mr Chard is at $7 in Aurie’s Star betting with Sydney Group One-winning sprinter Tiger Tees favourite at $3.20.

“I think he’ll run a very good race,” McEvoy said.

“He has improved from his first run as you would expect. My only query is whether he will find it too sharp second-up, but I’d look for him to be very strong late.”

McEvoy said the owners wanted the give Mr Chard a change of scenery and try a country training environment.

“I had really good success with (Cox Plate winner) Fields Of Omagh and he had suspensory ligament problems,” McEvoy said.

“The training conditions I’ve got in Angaston are perfect for those horses coming off tendon and suspensory issues because we can work them in a straight line up a hill.”

The Aurie’s Star is the main race on the Flemington card and has long been a starting point for spring carnival hopefuls.

Arguably the most interesting runner will be the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained import Crackerjack King, a Group One middle-distance winner in Italy, who makes his Australian debut in the sprint after a lengthy rehabilitation from a tendon injury.