The quick response by vets that saved the life of Elliotto may reap rich reward in Saturday’s Group 1 $500,000 2011 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.

Elliotto was down for the count in September when he severed an artery on his near foreleg pastern in trackwork accident.

Litres of blood spewed out before trainer Neville Parnham and vets came to attendance.

“There were pools and pools of blood and the cut was about a centimetre from being potentially fatal,” Parnham said.

“It was a pretty severe injury but the vets did a great job.”

There were no signs of any issue when Elliotto returned from his spell, beating Elusive Touch in a 1000m trial at Belmont Park 10 days ago.

Parnham is delighted to have barrier one and Elliotto has subsequently been backed backed from $126 to $81 since the barrier draw.

A winner of nine of 36 starts and almost $500,000 in prizemoney, prior to the mishap Elliotto resumed after a 17 week break and ran a close third to Idyllic Prince in the Listed Goodwood Sprint (1300m) at Belmont on August 20.

On that occasion he led at big odds and went down but three quarters of a length.

“He went super behind Idyllic Prince before the injury,” Parnham said.

“He trialled really good the other day (Tuesday) and worked superbly.

“He’s worked through the injury and now you wouldn’t even know it – he’s come back superbly.

“He’ll run a really cheeky race.”

The Entourage and All Fraired Up have been scratched from the Winterbottom.