An emerging star of New Zealand’s staying ranks has returned from a short summer break and will shoot for a pair of Group Two prizes at Ellerslie over the coming weeks.

Trust In You began the season with one win to his name from 14 starts and a rating of 62. His rapid rise since then has earned him a position among the favourites for Saturday’s Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m), along with the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) on March 9.

The five-year-old Sweynesse gelding won over 1600m at Te Rapa in September, then stepped up over a middle-distance with second placings in two 2100m Rating 75 races at Pukekohe in November and early December.

Trust In You went to a new level over the Christmas-New Year period, winning the $125,000 Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers’ Championship Final (2400m) on Boxing Day and backing up six days later to take out the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m).

“He’s always shown us quite a bit, so we haven’t really been surprised by what he’s done this season,” Cooksley said.

“He had a lot of bad luck in his last campaign – he was badly blocked probably three or four times during that season.

“We always knew the ability was there, and we were very confident that he’d stay as well. I think getting him up over those longer distances has been the key.”

From eight starts over 2100m or further, Trust In You has recorded two wins and three second placings. That includes victories in both of his previous two attempts at 2400m.

“He was very good in those two races on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day,” Cooksley said. “We gave him a few days off after that and then brought him back up again. Everything seems fine with him leading into Saturday.

“The Auckland Cup is the main target, so we’ll see what happens on Saturday and hopefully push on towards that in a few weeks’ time.”

The TAB rates Trust In You an $8.50 chance for Saturday’s Avondale Cup, which makes him third favourite behind Terra Mitica ($5.50) and Mehzebeen ($7.50).

The Auckland Cup market is headed by Mark Twain at $7 and equal second favourites Mary Louise and Terra Mitica at $10. Trust In You sits on a $12 quote alongside Dionysus and Mehzebeen.

Wallace and Cooksley’s other runner on Saturday is the well-performed veteran Gino Severini in the Bentleys Chartered Accountants (1200m).

The 10-year-old has won eight races, most recently the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) on November 18. Since then he has been unplaced in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2050m) on Boxing Day and a 1600m open handicap at Tauranga on January 12.

“He was pushed off the track there, and the ground was also too hard for him and he came back a little bit sore,” Cooksley said. “He’s right back to 100 percent again now.

“The 1200m is going to be a bit short for him on Saturday, but there’s not a heck of a lot of trials around at the moment, so he’s got to start somewhere.”