Trainer Julius Sandhu has his quality three-year-old Lofty Strike back in work with two of Victoria’s big sprints races on his radar.

The Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield in February and the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington are high on Sandhu’s agenda.

After going through his two-year-old year undefeated which culminated in his scratching from the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, Lofty Strike had three starts during the spring with a best finish of third, first-up, in the Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes at Caulfield.

He followed up by running fourth in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington before backing up a week later to finish seventh in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m).

Craig Newitt had the ride that day and said post-race if he had another horse take him further into the contest, he would have given the race a shake.

“He’s a Group 1 horse for sure,” Newitt said at the time.

Sandhu said Lofty Strike had bulked up during his month out following the Champions Sprint.

“He’s grown a bit, if that’s possible. I got the shock of my life when I picked him up,” Sandhu said.

“He stood there with his head up and I thought ‘he’s grown even more’.

“He’s a big boy. He’s a very strong and muscular horse, very masculine. He’s hard not to notice.”

Sandhu said he had mapped out to start Lofty Strike to run first-up in the Oakleigh Plate and is liking the idea of the 1100m contest at Sandown before heading to the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.

“Obviously, it is still a long way out, but it gives us time to make alternative decisions if we need to, but the most likely avenue would be those two races,” Sandhu said.

“He’s a winner down the straight and he’s a winner around a bend.

“I’m not worried about the Oakleigh Plate being at Sandown, in fact I prefer it rather than Caulfield, to be honest.”