Trainer Tony Noonan has likened last year's Brisbane winter carnival discovery Ortensia to a footballer ahead of her comeback in the Group One Galaxy at Randwick on Saturday.Ortensia, a Craig Williams mount, will be having her first start since winning the Group Two Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot last November in the 1100-metre feature.The four-year-old tuned up for her autumn return with an impressive three-length win in an 800-metre barrier trial at Warwick Farm last Friday.During last y

Trainer Tony Noonan has likened last year's Brisbane winter carnival discovery Ortensia to a footballer ahead of her comeback in the Group One Galaxy at Randwick on Saturday.

Ortensia, a Craig Williams mount, will be having her first start since winning the Group Two Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot last November in the 1100-metre feature.

The four-year-old tuned up for her autumn return with an impressive three-length win in an 800-metre barrier trial at Warwick Farm last Friday.

During last year's winter carnival, Ortensia claimed the Listed Glenlogan Park Stakes at Doomben and Group Two QTC Cup at Eagle Farm before finishing third to Black Piranha in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm.

Noonan has mapped out an ambitious campaign for Ortensia starting with the Galaxy in Sydney before returning to Queensland for a further four Group One races - the BTC Sprint, Doomben 10,000, Stradbroke Handicap and Winter Stakes.

"She's like a footballer and gets white line fever and is very competitive," Noonan said.

Noonan had hoped Ortensia would return earlier for last month's Group One Robert Sangster (1200m) at Morphettville won by the Steve Richards-trained Rostova.

However, Ortensia's comeback was delayed by a minor setback she suffered following her Winterbottom Stakes victory.

"She had a little setback in the paddock and got a touch of laminitis," Noonan said.

"She had a reaction after coming back from Perth and I think the grass was a little too rich for her.

"We were thinking of taking her to Adelaide for the Robert Sangster but we scrapped it and decided on the Galaxy."

Noonan is unfazed by the tough program ahead of Ortensia.

"She's been in work three to four months and has had an ideal preparation," he said.

"She hasn't been put under any great stress yet."

Ortensia has won eight of her 16 starts with Williams riding her in all bar five races.

Williams made a special trip from Melbourne to ride Ortensia in last week's barrier trial victory.

"Craig flew up to ride her and has been glowing in his reports on her since the day he first rode her," Noonan said.

"He was pretty excited after she won the trial.

"The plan was not to give her a hard trial as it was her first hitout leading into Saturday's race."

Noonan is unlikely to change Ortensia's normal rearward racing pattern after the mare's sixth to Sniper's Bullet in the Group One Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot a week prior to her Winterbottom Stakes triumph.

"She was ridden on the pace in the Railway Stakes but we rode her cold a week later when she backed up to win," he said.