Multiple Group One winner El Segundo is only weeks away from making his return to racing.Trainer Colin Little says the seven-year-old has responded to stem cell therapy for a tendon injury and has pencilled in the Group Two Carlyon Stakes at Moonee Valley on January 23 for his comeback run."I haven't really mapped out a program but it suits us to take him to Moonee Valley as much as possible because he likes it there," Little said.El Segundo has been off the scene with a superficial digital flex

Multiple Group One winner El Segundo is only weeks away from making his return to racing.

Trainer Colin Little says the seven-year-old has responded to stem cell therapy for a tendon injury and has pencilled in the Group Two Carlyon Stakes at Moonee Valley on January 23 for his comeback run.

"I haven't really mapped out a program but it suits us to take him to Moonee Valley as much as possible because he likes it there," Little said.

El Segundo has been off the scene with a superficial digital flexor tendon injury to his near foreleg and has not raced since he won the 2007 Cox Plate.

"He's had some extensive rehabilitation and been back in work for two months," Little said.

His pre-training at Peter Clarke's complex at Murchison in central Victoria has mainly involved walking on a treadmill in shoulder deep water.

"The tendon is looking okay," Little said.

"In the scheme of things it was not a massive hole but he had the Rolls Royce stem cell treatment as opposed to the Holden variety and it cost $10,000.

"For a horse like him it was justified. You can't tell which leg had the bad tendon so that is a good sign."

Little said El Segundo, who also finished second to Fields Of Omagh in the 2006 Cox Plate, would have a relatively light autumn campaign to get him "match fit" for next spring.

"We won't be busting him in the autumn," Little said.

"We would really like to get him back for the Cox Plate but I just want to try to get him to the races again and see how we go."

El Segundo's wins include the 2005 Caulfield Stakes, the 2006 Underwood Stakes and the 2007 C R Orr Stakes.