Talented galloper Zupaone has returned to the racetrack in the hope of increasing his appeal as a commercial sire after serving a modest book of mares last breeding season.The five-year-old was retired to stud at Holly Lodge last spring but it became apparent that he was more viable as a racehorse after he attracted only 30 mares."It is more advantageous to us if he is racing," said John Symons, who co-trains the Flying Spur five-year-old with Sheila Laxon."We are bringing him up and we will see

Talented galloper Zupaone has returned to the racetrack in the hope of increasing his appeal as a commercial sire after serving a modest book of mares last breeding season.

The five-year-old was retired to stud at Holly Lodge last spring but it became apparent that he was more viable as a racehorse after he attracted only 30 mares.

"It is more advantageous to us if he is racing," said John Symons, who co-trains the Flying Spur five-year-old with Sheila Laxon.

"We are bringing him up and we will see where we end up."

Zupaone will have his second start this campaign in a 1200 metre sprint at Sandown on Saturday in the hope he can return to form and earn a shot at bigger spoils in the coming weeks.

He had his first start since May last year when he raced against his usual off-pace racing pattern and faded to finish last to Gran Sasso in a heat of the All-Victorian Sprint Series (1000m) at Flemington.

Symons was critical of the way Zupaone was ridden for speed while mindful that the horse was still some way from his peak fitness.

"Being a bull and having had twelve months off he was always going to take a run or two to hit his straps," Symons said.

"We just want to make sure he has got the zest for racing and everything we are doing with him at home and in his trials are encouraging."

Leading up to his comeback run, Zupaone won a barrier trial at Wodonga after being narrowly beaten in another trial at Bendigo.

"I thought we had him pretty right for a bold showing first-up and I think if circumstances had have been different he probably would have been in the finish," Symons said.

"We have been happy with everything he has done and the run this Saturday will dictate what we do with him."

Zupaone has had an injury-interrupted career which has restricted him to just 17 starts of which he has won six.

"As a two-year-old he cracked a cannon bone, as a three-year-old he cracked a sesamoid and later he injured a hock," Symons said.

Zupaone's only stakes success was in the Group Three Spring Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide in 2007 and Symons again has that feature as a target for him on August 8.

"We all know he has a lot of ability but it is whether he can recapture that ability to get to where we want him to be," Symons said.

"We just want to see if he can lift his performance on his CV."