Newly crowned state champion Melito has returned to work at Gerald Ryan's Sydney stable to prepare for the spring.The mare was honoured last week as the champion NSW horse for her deeds as a three-year-old in 2009-10 which included two Group One wins and five placings at the highest level.Ryan plans to give her a limited spring with the Group Two Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day and the Group One Patinack Farm Classic on the last day of the Flemington carnival."She had four and a ha

Newly crowned state champion Melito has returned to work at Gerald Ryan's Sydney stable to prepare for the spring.

The mare was honoured last week as the champion NSW horse for her deeds as a three-year-old in 2009-10 which included two Group One wins and five placings at the highest level.

Ryan plans to give her a limited spring with the Group Two Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day and the Group One Patinack Farm Classic on the last day of the Flemington carnival.

"She had four and a half weeks off after the Winter Stakes in Brisbane and has come back looking sensational," Ryan said.

"She came back at 586 kilos but is back to around 550 now.

"She's not fat and has the best hindquarter now.

"She raced at 530 kilos all through the autumn and winter and kept the weight on consistently.

"I'd like to give her a short campaign, probably just the two races, and then go for all the same races in the autumn and winter."

Melito finished second in the Thousand Guineas (1600m) last spring and went on to run third in the Wakeful Stakes (2000m) before a disastrous run over 2500 metres in the VRC Oaks.

Corey Brown eased her down in that race fearing something was terribly wrong.

Melito came out of it fine but Ryan decided to change tack and keep her to sprint races.

"She always looked like she would be a stayer but the Oaks taught us she wasn't," he said.

Her second autumn run brought victory over Hot Danish in the TJ Smith Stakes then she ran second to that mare in the All Aged Stakes.

Her Brisbane sojourn netted Group One placings in the BTC Sup, Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke Handicap before success in the Winter Stakes.

All her runs during that campaign were between 1200 and 1400 metres.

Her efforts also earned her the title of NSW's best three-year-old filly and put her well in contention for the national title.