The talented four-year-old Xidaki is set to kick off his latest campaign in the Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick this Saturday, with eyes firmly set on a potential tilt at the Stradbroke Handicap later in the winter.

Trainer Peter Snowden says the gelding has returned to work in tremendous shape, carrying more condition than ever before but looking stronger as a result.

“He looks a bit like Santa Claus at the moment, he’s got a bit of condition on him,” Snowden said.

“But he is going great. He is the biggest he’s ever been but he is the best he has ever looked.

“Hopefully we’re right on track because we’ve got a big preparation planned for him this time in.”

Xidaki ran second in the Silver Eagle (1300m) to open his spring last year and later added a placing in the Festival Stakes (1500m) before finishing midfield in The Ingham (1600m).

Snowden believes a minor adjustment could make a major difference to Xidaki’s racing manners and overall performance.

“I have put a cross-over noseband on him because midrace a couple of times last campaign, he was getting too keen,” he said.

“It seems to be working really well at home. If he can just settle a bit more in his races, some of those margins he got beaten by were very slender and he was getting himself beaten by getting aggressive too early.

“Hopefully he races more settled and he can win a good race.”

While Snowden has circled the back end of the preparation as the primary target, he warns not to discount Xidaki early in his campaign.

“Third and fourth up is when we really want him to perform. But last time in first-up I thought he couldn’t win and he ran a blinder,” Snowden said.

“Never dismiss him because he is a genuine, honest horse.”

Xidaki boasts three placings from four first-up appearances, including a narrow defeat in last spring’s Silver Eagle.