Marroni produced an improved last-start performance in his quest for an overdue return to winning ways.

The son of Makfi has gone through a barren spell, but his most recent third placing at Trentham augured well for his return to the capital city track for Saturday’s Hallmark & Strone Parliamentary Handicap (2200m).

These days with Waipukurau horseman Simon Wilson, Marroni hasn’t proved the easiest to place due to his past glory days.

“It’s hard with a horse with his rating at 88 to find some nice races,” Wilson said.

“He’s wanted a softer track and we got that at Trentham last time and he came through the race nicely.

“It will probably be his last start on Saturday and then we’ll turn him out for a while.”

Marroni is a multiple winner up to Group level with hopes of a change of environment again bringing out the best in the gelding.

“Obviously, he’s been a very handy horse for the owners and I’m enjoying training him, and he goes to the track and around the farm,” Wilson said.

“He is in the latter part of his career so it’s a nice change for him and he’s a lovely horse to have around.”

Wilson will again use of the services of an apprentice on Saturday with Toni Davies to reduce Marroni’s impost to 56kg.

“He needs to get a bit of weight off, so we’ll take the claim,” Wilson said.

A past and successful association with the ownership group resulted in Marroni moving south from Cambridge.

“I’ve had a couple of horses for the owners before, Scutar and Vidiano, after they had finished with stable life,” Wilson said.

Scutar won three races after he relocated from Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman’s operation while Vidiano was successful from Peter Moody’s Victorian stable before he was also a winner for Wilson.

“They gave me the opportunity to train them and mix it up with the track, the farm and the beach and this horse was the same,” he said.

Marroni was successful on six occasions for Baker and Forsman, including victory in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m).

He also placed in the Gr.2 Easter Handicap (1600m) and the Gr.3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.

Following Baker’s retirement, Marroni added his seventh and last win for Forsman at Te Rapa in the spring of 2022.

The gelding subsequently ran second in the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) and following two below par performances during a Victorian campaign, he joined Wilson’s rural stable.

“It’s a relatively strong field on Saturday so we’ll take our chances and see what happens and then he’ll have a break,” he said.