By Mathew Toogood

SYDNEY, Aug 27 AAP - Of all the horses in the Patinack Farm team, John Thompson is most looking forward to the spring campaign of Trusting.

"Definitely, he's the flag-bearer," the trainer said ahead of the four-year-old's return in Saturday's Group Three Concorde Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.

Trusting exploded onto the scene 12 months ago, winning the Group Two weight-for-age Warwick Stakes (1400m) as a three-year-old at just his third race start.

A week later he came from last to finish second behind Denman in the Group One Golden Rose before heading to Melbourne for the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (second) and Caulfield Guineas (eighth).

The son of Tale Of The Cat was restricted to just one unplaced start in the autumn in the Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m) where he suffered an eye injury as the result of a clod of turf hitting him in the face.

Thompson expects the 1100m of the Concorde Stakes to be short of Trusting's best but he's excited to have the talented entire back at the races.

"As long as he runs well on Saturday, that's the main thing," Thompson said.

"He's in good shape."

Depending on how Trusting performs in the Concorde, his program will either take in the Group Two Theo Marks Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill second-up or the Group Three Cameron Handicap (1300m) at Newcastle.

The George Main Stakes (1600m) on September 25 is the first Group One target on the radar.

"We'll then decide from there where we head - the Epsom or to Melbourne," Thompson said.

Trusting has been produced twice at barrier trials ahead of his seasonal return, finishing fifth of seven in his most recent hitout over 800m at Warwick Farm with Hugh Bowman aboard.

Bowman has his first race ride on Trusting in the Concorde Stakes.

"He's a lot more mature and gives the impression he wants more distance," Thompson said.

"He's just so much bigger and stronger.

"As Hughie said, in his second trial with the freshness out of him he looked a bit dour and he was only getting going the last little bit.

"Hugh came and galloped him again the other day and said he's a really big-striding horse and just feels like he wants to get to a mile (1600m)."