Group 1-winning sprinter and new mother Idolize will be striving to continue her incredible return to racing at The Meadows on Saturday night.

Devon Meadows trainer Peter Presutto performed a conditioning masterclass last Saturday when Idolize won first-up after more than eight months out of action, leading all-the-way in a new PB of 29.95sec.

The 2022 G1 National Futurity and 2021 G2 Sandown Laurels heroine hadn’t raced since running third in a Melbourne Cup heat on November 19, having produced three regally-bred pups to Shima Shine in February.

“We retired her and that was that,” Presutto explained.

“It was an enormous feeling to win the race. It was really exciting and really rewarding.”

“But she was always the type of dog that wanted to work, and we took her away from her pups fairly early, not because she wasn’t a good mum, but she’d see us working the other dogs and wanted to get out there with them!

“She wanted to go, so we let her work. She trimmed down a bit and got fitter, so I spoke to Michelle and Justin (Nolan, owner/breeders) and we decided to keep going and see where she got to.”

Where Idolize got to was last week’s talent-laden Grade 5 heats, where the January ’20 daughter of My Redeemer and Hightan started $5.50 from box four, with G2 Ballarat Cup finalist Shima Shadow $1.30 favourite.

Idolize scripted a fairytale return, showing she’d lost none of her trademark early speed with a 5.02sec first split as she led throughout to claim her 20^th win from 41 starts and quickest of her three wins at The Meadows.

WATCH: “Back from having some pups and she wins!” New mother IDOLIZE (B4) made a winning return at The Meadows last Saturday night, leading all-the-way in 29.95sec.

“It was an enormous feeling to win the race. It was really exciting and really rewarding,” Presutto said.

“Nat (wife) was in tears afterwards. This is the first time I’ve brought a bitch back after having a litter and you feel pressure because she’s probably the best animal I’ve been involved with.

“I’ll be honest, my three biggest races would be the Futurity, the Laurels and that win on Saturday.

“She was trialling well going into it. The only thing I was a bit apprehensive about was her fitness over the ‘500’.

“Her time was a massive positive and I’m hoping she’ll find a bit this week. She should.

“She pulled up fantastic. She bounced out of it and could’ve gone around the next day. She seems to be bigger and stronger now too.”

One thing that hasn’t changed for Idolize is her misfortune with box draws.

She resumed from box four last Saturday, remarkably the sixth time in her past eight starts she’s worn the blue vest, while she hasn’t drawn inside four in her last 14 starts, dating back to last June.

The trend has continued with Idolize allocated six for Saturday night’s remarkably strong $18,125 Grade 5 final (race 5, 7.57pm), where her opposition includes prolific Group performers El Dorado (box 2 – 22 wins) and Stout Monelli (box 4 – 40 wins).

“Dogs make their own luck and if she pings, I don’t think it matters where she draws,” Presutto said.

“Hopefully, she improves on Saturday, whether or not she wins. If she performs well, we’ll definitely look at the National Sprint heats (next Saturday, August 5).

“You’re a long time retired, so we’ll just take it one week at a time and see where the journey takes us. We’d love to fulfil some more dreams; whether it’s with Idolize we’ll see.

“She’ll tell us when she’s ready, but she should come on again at the end of the year and she’ll be retired for good then.”