Star Rolling's career was continually hampered by being balloted out of races last spring but trainer Peter Morgan knew what he had and rewards are coming 12 months on.
"The way he was going on the track I thought he would have just won the Naturalism this time last year and he got balloted," Morgan said. "In the end I had to go to Adelaide to get some [rating] points and the whole prep was a bit of a disappointment because he couldn't get a run anywhere.
"I look at the Naturalism [on Saturday] and see they didn't need a ballot and wish it was like that last year but he has moved on since then."
Star Rolling will line-up in the highlight of the Caulfield card, the Underwood Stakes, after proving his worth at weight-for-age in the past 12 months.
Morgan believes he never got Star Rolling right in the autumn but the Casino Prince five-year-old was still runner-up in Carlyon Cup before he almost led all-the-way in the Peter Young Stakes, over the Underwood trip, when run down into third late by Fiorente and Mourayan.
"He just wasn't the same horse in the autumn but still ran good races," Morgan said. "The way he has come back is like last spring and his gallop on Tuesday was outstanding."
Star Rolling has only had 13 starts for five wins and has already won at a group 2 weight-for-age this preparation taking out the Lawrence Stakes from the front before chasing The Cleaner throughout in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes two weeks ago.
"I don't think anything would have matched The Cleaner around the Valley the other day," Morgan said. "This race looks like it sets up better for him because there is no real pace and I see him out in front again.
"He is back to where was last year and I'm very confident in him. It just shows how far he has come in that we are in an Underwood instead of the Naturalism."
Morgan believes Star Rolling is ready for the group 1 challenge and is eyeing a possible Epsom start next month after Saturday, where he has only 53 kilograms, before a shot at the Cox Plate.
"The jockey managers are already ringing me telling me the race is falling away and the weather you have been having up there would help because he likes a soft track," Morgan said.
