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Adelaide Ace showed he is ready to find the winner’s stall again after an impressive first-up effort at Warrnambool.

After time in the wilderness Lindsey Smith is confident Adelaide Ace is about to make a return to the winner's circle. 

Adelaide Ace will be attempting to win his first race in 15 months when he lines up in the Enable Professional Services Handicap (1400m) on Saturday. 

After starting his career in Perth, the rising five-year-old son of Savabeel scored as a spring three-year-old at Flemington before returning the following autumn to claim the Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield. 

There were offers to buy the then three-year-old, but Adelaide Ace needed a wind operation which Smith said had been successful. 

Adelaide Ace has not been successful since that Autumn Classic success, but followed that up with a second to Noncomformist in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes at The Valley in March last year. 

"Missing out on the sale and then having a wind op, we went from a million dollars to zero," Smith said. 

In five starts last spring, before the wind operation, Adelaide Ace failed to run a place but resumed at Warrnambool during the carnival to run second over 1400m. 

That confirmed to Smith Adelaide Ace was on the way back and his work since that run has been strong. 

"He's come good from that run at Warrnambool and he seems back to his old self again," Smith said. 

"The claim for young Lachlan Neindorf will also do him good and I'm looking forward to him putting two runs together." 

Smith said Adelaide Ace was unlucky when at Warrnambool when ridden by John Allen. 

"He shook his head when the gates opened and maybe that cost him winning the race," Smith said. 

"But he's going good now."