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Caellum is back to the form that earned him black type honours in the spring, according to trainer and part-owner Nick Bishara.

“I’m really very happy with him, I think he’s as good now as when he came back from Australia,” the Ardmore Lodge-based horseman said.

Caellum will step out in the Ford Ranger Open 1200 at Ruakaka on Saturday with Trudy Thornton to renew her association with the seven-year-old.

She rode the son of Fast ‘N’ Famous to victory in the Listed Counties Bowl last November soon after the sprinter had returned from a successful Queensland spell with Eagle Farm trainer Brian Smith.

A trial winner here, Caellum earned nearly $190,000 from four victories at Doomben and one at Caloundra for the veteran New Zealand conditioner.

“He had a few little issues in the late summer, but we’ve sorted those and I was pleased with his first-up run,” Bishara said.

“I still can’t work out how he got relegated last time, but never mind that’s old news now and we’ve moved on.”

Caellum finished a solid third at Ellerslie, where he also ran a respectable sixth in the Gr.1 Railway Stakes, earlier this month only to be put back to fourth after an inquiry.

Bishara is also expecting a top showing from Her Choice in the Pierces Flooring Xtra 1600.

“She goes well at Ruakaka – she just loves the joint,” he said.

A three-time winner and multiple placegetter on the course, Her Choice was a last-start third at Avondale.