Star sprinting juvenile Big Evs is on track for a spring return, with connections excited ahead of a three-year-old campaign.

The Mick Appleby-trained colt was a surprise winner of the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and went from strength to strength through the season, taking the Group 3 Molecombe Stakes on soft ground at Glorious Goodwood. Despite a defeat against his elders in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes, the son of Blue Point bounced back with an emphatic victory in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster during the St Leger meeting. Big Evs was well-fancied to add a Grade 1 victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in November and the colt duly delivered with a comfortable success over Valiant Force.

"He's doing well and back in training now. He's wintered well and grown and filled out more – he looks a bit stronger now," said Appleby.

"I'm going to have a sit down with his owner soon and map out a campaign for him. We would probably look at getting out May time I think, it's just working out what there is for him early season really.

"It will all depend on what the ground will be like really more than anything – we don't want it too soft, even though he handled it at Glorious Goodwood when he won on bottomless ground.

"We will play it by ear with him and he's getting fitter, so we'll crack on with him and see when he's ready."