A long and cold winter has taken its toll on talented galloper Argentia who is finally ready to make her racetrack return at Caulfield.

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained mare contests the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m) on Saturday, her first outing since May.

Argentia had been pencilled in to start her campaign last month, but Sam Freedman said the stable had not been entirely happy with her preparation.

Freedman said he had noticed a change in the mare in the past couple of weeks which has coincided with some slightly warmer spring weather.

Argentia has proven Freedman wrong previously when successful first-up at Caulfield and is loath to say she cannot win on Saturday but feels she will gain a lot of improvement from Saturday’s outing.

“Maybe it’s the bad weather, but she’s finally started to come into herself,” Freedman said.

“This week she’s had a great week and she’s starting to look better.

“The weather, the tracks, it’s been harder to get them looking really well as when it’s so cold mares seem to come a long at different stages.

“Her trials, visually, have been OK, but her coat, it’s falling out at the moment.

“My gut says this run will probably set her up for the rest of the prep, so we can get her going now and then we can look forward for something else heading towards the (Group 1) Empire Rose.”

Argentia has raced only six times, registering two wins and two second placings.

Her two victories have come fresh, once over Saturday’s course and distance in the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes in February while the mare’s one failure first-up was when finishing seventh in the Group 1 Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville in May.