After a below-par autumn and winter campaign from Xidaki left Peter Snowden puzzled, the trainer is confident the gelding has finally rediscovered his competitive spark.

A Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) winner at three, Xidaki went on to finish top-three in last year’s Silver Eagle (1300m) and Festival Stakes (1500m), and was far from disgraced finishing midfield in The Ingham (1600m).

But when he returned late in the Sydney autumn, he failed to display his usual spark across four runs, prompting Snowden to draw stumps and reset.

“Last prep wasn’t him at all, so I only gave him a few runs and stopped,” Snowden said.

“I brought him back in, that was his first run the other day and that was much more like him.”

Xidaki resumed with a strong third behind Brave One on The Hunter undercard at Newcastle, where he was tightened for room late and arguably should have finished even closer.

He now rises 200 metres for Saturday’s Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill, and after drawing ideally in barrier four, Snowden believes the gelding is poised to run another bold race.

“His first-up run at Newcastle was great. He ran third and got blocked for a run with ten metres to go and he might have even run second,” he said.

“He hit the line very strongly over 1300 so the 1500 shouldn’t be an issue.

“He’s got a great barrier. No weight on his back. He’s got a good rider (Rachel King). He will be competitive.”

Stablemate Touristic also lines up in the same race after missing out on a start in The Gong (1600m) as an emergency. Saturday’s run will act as a foundation for a rise in distance later in the prep.

Last year’s Festival Stakes runner-up Robusto heads a superb field of 20 for this year’s Festival Stakes (1500m), a key stepping stone to The Ingham (1600m) next month.

If you’re having a bet on the Festival Stakes, compare the latest odds and bonuses at the best Australian betting sites.