A strong return to form in the Group 3 Strickland Stakes (2000m) at Belmont Park on Saturday has Perth trainer Adam Durrant plotting a Melbourne spring path for Kincaple.

The seven-year-old was having just his second start since an injury-enforced layoff saw him spend 18-months on the sidelines.

But despite heading into the race on the back of a first-up seventh, the former Victorian galloper jumped a $3.90 favourite and more than justified his price.

Making a wide run with Daniel Staeck doing the steering, Kincaple flew home to defeat Moonlight Bay and God Has Spoken.

Durrant was always confident the son of Pentire could win the second-up test and is now looking forward to testing him on the east coast this spring.

“Good horses lift when they have to and today he showed what a good horse he is…he will hopefully be going to Melbourne with Mr Moet,” Durrant told the West Australian.

The Strickland triumph was Kincaple’s second at stakes level after winning the Listed Kalgoorlie Cup in 2011 for former trainer Mark Reed. Durrant is the fourth trainer to take charge of the winner of eight of 29 starts.

It was the second straight Strickland Stakes victory for Durrant who prepared Mr Moet to win the race last year. Durrant’s stable star went on to win the Group 1 Railway Stakes and the Group 2 CB Cox Stakes before proving himself up to class in Melbourne in the autumn.

Despite failing to find his way into the winner’s stall, the five-year-old was third in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes and runner-up in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes.