High class sprinter Crocetti looks right on target for his early season targets after never getting out of second gear during a stunning open class trial win over 1050m at Ruakaka on Saturday. 

The Danny Walker and Arron Tata-prepared six-year-old was having his first public appearance since finishing last in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) where post-race tests revealed he was impeded by a respiratory issue. 

A noted fresh performer, the son of Zacinto jumped fairly in the trial before moving forward to sit third for rider Masa Hashizume before attacking the pacemakers rounding the home bend. 

Hashizume never moved a muscle as Crocetti eased clear of State Of Valour and Wolfgang on his inner, cantering to the line with a two length margin over that pair while last season’s dual Group One winner First Five strolled into fourth under a hard hold. 

Walker was pleased with the return by his stable star after being given a long, slow build-up over the past two months. 

“He’s had a good spell and is coming back in the right order I hope,” Walker said. 

“He’s been in for about two and a half months doing a lot of slow work and has been looked after. 

“That (the trial) will bring him on nicely. 

“He just had a bit of mucous and stuff after the Railway so we had to treat him and decided to give him a good spell.” 

Walker is still undecided on a first up target for his charge, with track conditions over the next few weeks to have a major bearing on whether he contests the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa on 27 August or waits for the first Group One of the season, the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie on 5 September. 

“It hasn’t been that wintery so far but it would be nice if the weather was good as it is hard to imagine the way Te Rapa will be as it has been so wet lately, but it is in the lap of the gods,” he said. 

“The Proisir Plate at Ellerslie is more logically the go.” 

Crocetti will be looking to expand on his already outstanding career record which sits at nine wins from just 17 starts, including the 2023 Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and 2025 Gr.1 Sistema Railway. 

The day got even better for Walker and Tata as Crocetti’s little half-sister Shalabiya looked to have inherited all the family ability when thrashing a handy maiden field over 1200m by more than five lengths in the second event on the card.