Group One star Crocetti moved a step closer to his return to racing with a pleasing exhibition gallop between races at Pukekohe on Thursday.

The son of Zacinto was one of the standouts of New Zealand’s three-year-old crop last season, winning six of his seven starts including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m), Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). His only defeat in that campaign was a runner-up finish behind Bonny Lass when he took on older horses in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).

Trainers Danny Walker and Arron Tata were initially aiming Crocetti towards a shot at last Saturday’s A$10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) in Sydney, but he was instead sent for a three-week spell after a disappointing seventh as favourite in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings on September 7.

Crocetti’s stylish hitout on Thursday indicated that he is building nicely towards feature targets on New Zealand’s late spring and summer calendar.

“He went very nicely today,” Walker said. “I was really happy with him and he seems to be coming up well ahead of a summer campaign.

“We’ll possibly look to kick him off in the Counties Bowl (Gr.3, 1100m) later this month and then take it from there. With that in mind, it was a good chance for him to have a bit of a look around Pukekohe today.”

The Counties Bowl will be run at Pukekohe on November 23 and is the first North Island qualifying race for the new Sport Nation Champion Sprint Series, which also comprises the Listed Lindauer Stewards Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton, Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie, the Listed Hazlett Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui, the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham, the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie, the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa and the Gr.3 King’s Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie, along with four races in Australia. Points will be allocated to the first four placegetters in each race, with a bonus pool of $500,000 to be shared amongst the owners of the three highest point-scorers of the series.

The TAB expects Crocetti to be a significant player in that series, currently rating him a $4 favourite for the Telegraph on January 4 and a $4 equal favourite for the Railway on January 25. He shares Railway favouritism with three-year-old filly Alabama Lass.