Trainer Grahame Begg believes Samangu is now poised to show her best form as she builds toward a return to winning ways at Caulfield on Saturday.

The mare steps out in the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) third-up after a lengthy nine-month break from racing.

Samangu missed the spring after a setback and had not been seen since her Caulfield victory in March last year.

Begg expected her to need the run when she resumed at Caulfield Heath in December but admitted he was surprised by how far back she finished.

He took more positives from her sixth-place effort in the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) at Flemington earlier this month.

“She has needed the two runs this time in,” Begg said.

“Her first-up run was a non-event as she missed the jump, and it was a 1000-metre race on the Heath.

“It had been a long time between runs, so she needed it, and I thought she ran much better in the Standish.

“She was one of the only horses to make ground on the inside, and we saw Hedged go on to win next start, so the form stacked up.”

Begg said Samangu’s effort late in the Standish caught his eye despite the track bias.

“She made a good run at them at the 300, but that inside was hard to make ground on.

“She’s prepped well since and I think she’s just about where she needs to be now.”

The mare returns to Caulfield where she has been unbeaten on the outer track and punters can assess her chances through leading Australian betting sites.

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