New Zealand trainer Richard Otto has reservations that Sphenophyta will be at his top as he bids to reclaim his reputation in Saturday's Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast.Sphenophyta arrived in Australia last Friday for a two-start winter carnival campaign in the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) and Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 16."He's only here for the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup at this stage but if he runs well enough here the Brisbane Cup might be worth having a look at,"

New Zealand trainer Richard Otto has reservations that Sphenophyta will be at his top as he bids to reclaim his reputation in Saturday's Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast.

Sphenophyta arrived in Australia last Friday for a two-start winter carnival campaign in the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) and Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 16.

"He's only here for the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup at this stage but if he runs well enough here the Brisbane Cup might be worth having a look at," Otto said.

"But I really don't want to put too much pressure on him while he's here in Queensland.

"I'm really looking at the spring with him back home and races likes the Kelt Capital Stakes."

Sphenophyta, a Michael Rodd mount, came out of retirement to finish second over 1200 metres at Ellerslie on April 11.

Since then Otto has given the eight-year-old a barrier trial over 1200 metres at Te Awamutu in preparation for the Hollindale Stakes.

"The trial was just to give him a hard gallop before stepping up to 1800 metres," Otto said.

"But I think he still might be one run short of his best for the Hollindale.

"He came from last in the trial and won it on the bit."

Sphenophyta last appeared in Queensland three years ago when he brilliantly won the Ipswich Cup at only his eighth race start.

The ease of his win and subsequent second in the Listed Caloundra Cup made him one of the most sought after stayers on both sides of the Tasman and eventually led the gelding to be sold and trained in Melbourne by Lee Freedman.

With Freedman, Sphenophyta was runner-up to Pompeii Ruler in the Group Two Craiglee Stakes and finished sixth to El Segundo in the Group One Underwood Stakes at Caulfield in September, 2006.

He then claimed the Group One Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington the following month to earn favouritism for the Caulfield Cup.

Sphenophyta finished a close fifth to Tawqeet in the Caulfield Cup but Freedman's hope of running him in the Melbourne Cup came unstuck when he flopped to finish 13th to Desert War in the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.

The son of Groom Dancer came back next campaign but failed and was spelled again after one start in the Group Three Carlyon Cup at Caulfield in February, 2007.

He was eventually retired after veterinarians discovered he had a heart irregularity following another first-up failure when he tailed the field in the Group Two Liston Stakes won by Apache Cat at Caulfield six months later.

Otto resurrected his career after letting nature take its course and was impressed with his first-up effort at Ellerslie after nearly two years on the sidelines.

"His first-up run never surprised me. The way he had been working I thought he could win," Otto said.

"We don't really know what was wrong with him when he was with Lee Freedman but he hasn't put a foot wrong since he's been back in work."