Group performer Royal Insignia begins a new era with his return in the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate as a lead-in to what may become a Queensland winter venture.

Having triumphed in the Group 3 Manfred Stakes during his three-year-old season, the Written Tycoon gelding hit a rough patch, compelling his stable to proceed with gelding.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but he just wasn’t putting it all together on race days, even though he has shown an enormous amount of ability,” trainer Grahame Begg said.

“So we bit the bullet and gelded him.”

His most recent outing was a distant finish in Caulfield’s Testa Rossa Stakes (1400m) back on November 29, followed by two jump outs and a trial to sharpen him for the Wagga Town Plate (1200m) on Thursday.

The four-year-old shines when fresh, recording a win plus two seconds from four attempts, excluding a brave fourth in Group 2 company in the spring.

Success here might propel him toward Queensland targets including the Group 2 Morton Cup (1200m) on June 6 at Eagle Farm, with the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) a week on also in play if he boosts his handicap mark.

“He needs to get his rating up. But there are other races outside that, plenty of lovely races up there. The Moreton Cup over 1200, and there are races on Tatt’s Day,” he said.

With 40 entries lodged for the Town Plate on the first day of Wagga’s two-day carnival.

Among them are last year’s first and second, Compelling Truth alongside Gravina, while 29 have nominated for Friday’s Listed Wagga Cup (2000m), featuring previous winners Flying Bandit and Bianco Vilano.

Find the best betting sites with racing odds for this year’s Wagga Town Plate action.