Last year’s Railway Stakes winner showed encouraging signs in his return to the trials, finishing within two lengths of Wind And The Lion after settling midfield in the 1000m hit-out on Monday.

The five-year-old, who went winless in five runs last campaign, was never far off the mark, finishing within four lengths of the winner in the Lee Steere Stakes (1400m), Railway Stakes (1600m), Northerly Stakes (1800m) and Gold Rush (1400m).

Rider Steven Parnham said the trial was a positive sign ahead of the gelding’s upcoming campaign.

“I was really pleased with his trial,” he told TABradio. “He’s typically not that great at the trials. He tends to leave it for race day.”

“He’s working as good as he has done in the past and probably has a bit more maturity on his side.”

The Playing God gelding, trained by Parnham’s father Neville, is expected to be aimed at the Belmont Sprint (1400m) and the Hyperion Stakes (1600m), races he performed well in last year with a win and a third placing respectively.

Parnham added that a run in the Northam Stakes (1300m) next Sunday hasn’t been ruled out.

“I spoke to dad before the trial and he was thinking of going to the Belmont Sprint first-up,” he said. “He probably trialled better than we thought, so I don’t know for sure. When he goes to the races, he will be ready to go.”

Elsewhere, Deltason has booked a spot in next Saturday’s WA Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) after a stylish win in the Reliable Asset Maintenance Plate (1400m) at Ascot.