Gai Waterhouse is banking on the addition of blinkers to give Whittington a first-up edge in the Group Three San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.

The colt will be one of nine runners in the 1100m sprint, a traditional spring starting point for many of Sydney's better three-year-olds.

Among those lining up will be Golden Slipper runner-up Sidestep, last-start winner Windjammer and Never Can Tell who downed Whittington in the Canonbury Stakes in February.

Waterhouse has given Whittington two barrier trials in preparation for his return and decided on the gear change to help him concentrate on his job.

"He's a very exciting colt," Waterhouse said.

"I decided to put blinkers on on Saturday to get him to focus. Not that he will need them constantly, but they will be good for him on Saturday."

Whittington won two races during his two-year-old season including the Listed Breeders' Plate on debut, but finished down the track in the Golden Slipper won by stablemate Overreach.

Waterhouse feels he has the conformation of a "real speed horse" and he has drawn ideally in barrier three on Saturday.

The San Domenico has traditionally been a good guide to the spring and the past two editions have been won by Snitzerland (2012), who went on to win two Group races during the Melbourne carnival, and Foxwedge (2011) who was runner-up in that year's Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Waterhouse is yet to lock in a spring program for Whittington and says while next month's Golden Rose is among the options, she wants to see the new season three-year-olds earn their stripes.

"We'll wait and see. A lot of these horses have got to prove themselves in the next few weeks," she said.

"The Golden Rose is a lot like the Golden Slipper and the horses who were competitive in the Golden Slipper will be the ones who'll be competitive in the Golden Rose."

Of the nine San Domenico runners, eight will tackle the race first-up.

Windjammer for Bjorn Baker is the only horse with a run on the board, resuming with a victory over the same course and distance at the first Saturday meeting of the new season.