Group 1 placed filly Anatina kicked off her build up towards the spring carnival with a jump out win at Caulfield on Tuesday morning.
The Robert Smerdon trained galloper was ridden by Ben Melham in the 800m heat, leading throughout to win with ease.
Smerdon is eyeing the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley as a first-up target for Anatina, who has not raced since placing second to Tiger Tees in The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens during the autumn.
"She led throughout in her heat, the ground was slow, she revels in that ground so it was no issue," Smerdon said.
"We will probably kick off at Moonee Valley on August 23 in a 1000m set weights and penalties Listed race, she will have another jump out before then.
"She won a Listed race down the straight in the spring, last time in she won another Listed race and then was Group 1 placed, so she seems to have taken a step up.
"We only had a light autumn so the opportunity is there for her to step up again. I'm pretty happy with what I saw today, and I am hoping she can continue to improve because she is going to need to going from a three to a four-year-old, you have got to see them do it.
"She is a genuine sprinting mare, that is the way I see her." (ex Racing Network)