Stakeswinning five-year-old Chasm will mount an attack on the Winter Championship series as a bridge to contesting better races in the spring.Trainer Heath Conners said Chasm was on the comeback trail from injury and would launch a three-race winter campaign in Saturday's Jimjoca Plate (1400m) at Caulfield.Last spring Chasm was diagnosed with a hamstring strain after losing form with four unplaced runs but Conners is confident he has the Umatilla gelding back to his best after a barrier trial th

Stakeswinning five-year-old Chasm will mount an attack on the Winter Championship series as a bridge to contesting better races in the spring.

Trainer Heath Conners said Chasm was on the comeback trail from injury and would launch a three-race winter campaign in Saturday's Jimjoca Plate (1400m) at Caulfield.

Last spring Chasm was diagnosed with a hamstring strain after losing form with four unplaced runs but Conners is confident he has the Umatilla gelding back to his best after a barrier trial this week.

"If the track is not biased at Caulfield on Saturday and he can get out before the 400 metres I think he will win," Conners said,.

"He has done well enough for me to say that."

Chasm has won eight of his 23 starts and been stakes-placed seven times including notable victories in the 2008 Group Three Sandown Stakes (1500m) and the Listed Auckland Racing Club Handicap (1610m) at Flemington on Anzac Day last year.

He looked set for an exciting spring campaign and was a courageous Group Three third to Swift Alliance and Gold Salute when resuming in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1200m).

His hamstring injury was traced back to his next run when beaten less than two lengths when seventh to Turffontein in the Group One Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

"He got injured in the early stages when he nearly went through the fence and was never the same for the rest of his campaign," Conners said.

"We put him out for three months and with a bit of treatment he seems to have back very well."

Chasm had his first try on heavy ground last Monday in a Cranbourne barrier trial and his third to Our Smoking Joe convinced Conners he was ready to kick off his winter campaign at Caulfield.

The gelding is noted for his first-up ability with two wins and two placings from five starts and Conners believes the biggest problem for him on Saturday will be getting a clear run from barrier three.

"He would have been better off drawing barrier 12," Conners said.

"I don't want him getting stuck in traffic from the 600 metres as he needs to be winding up then so he can finish the race off."

Conners said the Winter Championship would give Chasm a foundation for next spring and that after Saturday he would try to qualify him for the 1600-metre final at Flemington on July 10 via two Flemington heats on June 12 and June 26.

"He is going to run in the series mainly because we didn't want him to be six months out going into the spring," Conners said.

"It is a good series for a horse like him."