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By Ray Hickson

Richard Litt admits to some sleepless nights during Profondo’s autumn campaign but says he couldn’t be in a better place – both trainer and horse – ahead of the four-year-old’s return at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Richard Litt (Pic: Bradley Photos).

With a high profile horse – Profondo was a $1.9 million yearling – comes some pressure and attention but Litt said the autumn taught him plenty about how he should approach the spring.

He said, in hindsight, electing to start his last campaign in Melbourne, chasing a dry track, was an error but it’s all gone to plan for a fresh start in the Group 1 $750,000 Winx Stakes (1400m).

“It’s been a really good preparation,’’ Litt said.

“He came back in wonderful order, with a different attitude, he’s grown up a lot. It’s been really helpful training him this prep.

“I pulled the wrong rein to go to Melbourne. He’d only had three starts prior to that, he was very inexperienced. I’ll cop that on the chin, we don’t look back.

“It did keep me up at night for a while, but I’ve accepted it now and this preparation I’ve given myself so much time and had a lot of help around me.”

Cast your mind back 12 months and Profondo was still unraced.

He made his debut in a 1400m midweek maiden on the Kensington track on September 1 and two starts later scored a Group 1 win in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).

After the trip to Melbourne for the Australian Guineas, Litt pulled the pin on Profondo’s autumn when he overdid it in front and weakened to run fourth behind Anamoe in the Rosehill Guineas.

Brenton Avdulla has his first race ride on the horse on Saturday and Litt says he’s putting more emphasis on Profondo’s performance in the Winx Stakes, where he was $12 with TAB on Wednesday, than any expectation of a first-up win.

“I just want him to go out there and do everything right,’’ he said.

“For Brenton to have a nice ride on him and to have a nice run. I’ve got no huge expectations for this run, this is just one of many runs he’s going to have.

“He’s a lightly raced horse that needs a lot of racing, he needs to get out there and get racing. He’s a four-year-old so it’s time to crack on.

“This is probably the most important run as it’s going to set him up for the rest of this prep.

“The main part of the race is going to be the last 100m, that’s where we want to see him really hitting the line.”

It’s been a slow build up into his new season kick off, with Profondo stepping out in his first trial back on July 6.

Profondo runs fourth in a Warwick Farm trial on August 5

He sat handy in the latest, where he ran fourth behind Winx Stakes favourite Anamoe, and Litt said he’s comfortable with where the horse is at.

“He’s had three nice trials, a lot of work, his attitude is fantastic and now we want to see him come out and do it race day,’’ he said.

“I want to see a really good run, the horse settle, enjoy his racing, for Brenton to get a good feel of him race day and then moving forward there are some beautiful races coming up.

“We’ve just got to get back out there and see where we are at and we’re looking forward to it.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting