Shelley Hale’s Group One winner Close Up is quietly making his way towards another round of feature assignments.

Close Up provided the Cambridge trainer with the highlight of her career when winning the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings last September, then was narrowly beaten into second when splitting Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) winner Gingernuts and multiple Group One star Kawi in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m).

He pulled up sore after his next run, when seventh in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings, and Hale is thrilled with the way he has come back from a spell.

“He’s feeling awesome,” she said. “He’s coming up nicely with a bit of variety in his work. He’s on the water-treadmill every other day and I’m really happy with him.

“He won’t be up as early as he was last year, but he’ll be ready for the Foxbridge Plate and the Tarzino again.

“Now that he’s shown he is up to weight-for-age he doesn’t need to go round in the handicaps like he did last year. He’ll probably run in the Opunake Cup before the Foxbridge Plate.”

Close Up began his campaign last winter with an open handicap win at New Plymouth then won again at Ellerslie and four starts later he was an unlucky second behind Underthemoonlight in the Gr.2 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa before turning the tables in the Tarzino Trophy in his seventh start for the campaign.

“This time he’ll probably go into the Tarzino Trophy with three or four runs under his belt,” Hale said.