Mepunga Tully is set to make her long-awaited return to racing in the Bendigo Cup heats after spending seven months on the sidelines with a hock injury.

The Australian Cup winner last stepped onto the track in March, when she brilliantly won a Group 1 Perth Cup heat. She was installed as favourite for the final but was a late scratching.

“She had surgery on her hock, and it has taken a long time to come back,” trainer Jeff Britton said.

“She has had a lot of running up the straight before we trialled her and I think she is going well – especially her first two sectionals in trials. We’re talking 12.61 seconds early at Sandown (Post To Post).”

The daughter of Fernando Bale and Mepunga Isla received the green light to resume racing after impressing in a Satisfactory Trial at Geelong last Tuesday, where she stopped the clock in 25.74 seconds over 460 metres, including a sharp 6.47-second first split.

“You lose muscle tone during time off and it takes race fitness to get that back,” Britton said.

“She is going well, but whether she is back to where she was is a bit unknown – the next few months will tell us a lot.”

Mepunga Tully’s Satisfactory trial at Geelong last week.

Mepunga Tully has drawn box eight in Sportsbet Bendigo Cup heat five (race eight).

“She is well boxed and where she wants to be – these heats are very good,” Britton said.

Britton also has Giacomo lining up in the Cup heats. He returns from a short break with a minor niggle but faces a tough test against Mile A Minute in heat one (race four).