At the start of the preparation, El Castello was hard-pressed to be competitive in a barrier trial.
At Randwick on Saturday, the three-year-old will be sent around as one of the fancied runners for the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
Few have taken more satisfaction in the horse’s journey than jockey Josh Parr, who has ridden him in two of his three starts this campaign and done much of the work with him at home.
“At the start of the preparation, we had to give him three barrier trials to get him somewhat competitive and active. He is quite lazy,” Parr said.
“It seemed like it was overnight, that all of a sudden he was a racehorse. He developed this know-how of being able to travel, and not only travel, but let down.”
It has been small steps.
El Castello resumed with a narrow maiden win at Warwick Farm last month before making a successful progression to Saturday Midway grade.
But it was his last-start triumph in the Group 2 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) that Parr believes will prove campaign-defining.
“What we saw in the Gloaming is what we’ve been waiting to see from him for some time, when he hit the front and he carried on. He kept going and going,” Parr said.
“That was a really positive moment in his career.
“I hope that is now a transition into this Saturday. I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be.
“Going to 2000 metres for the first time, that’s an unknown for most of them, but he’s got the attitude to suggest he’ll get the 2000, and he’s got the action and the make-up to suggest that he will.”
Parr already has two Spring Champion Stakes titles to his name, the most recent courtesy of Shadow Hero, who defeated subsequent Cox Plate runner-up Castelvecchio in 2019.
While Parr said Shadow Hero and El Castello were different types of horses, there was some symmetry between the pair.
“He’s not like Shadow Hero, but Shadow Hero’s main rival was Castelvecchio, who is the sire of this horse,” Parr said.
“This guy is a lot like Castelvecchio in as far as sitting on him and his shape and demeanour.”
El Castello has drawn barrier eight and is on the second line of Spring Champion Stakes odds at $3.90 with Gloaming Stakes second placegetter Swiftfalcon a $3.40 favourite despite coming up with the outside gate in the 11-horse field.