The road to major Group One autumn targets has started for gun mare Samaready who is back in pre-training.

The Group One Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington has been pinpointed as a first-up target for the dual Group One winner whose spring was cut short by her Manikato Stakes failure.

Samaready suffered an exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in the Manikato Stakes (1200m) on October 25 when she could only manage eighth as the short-priced favourite.

She was sent for a spell, missing the Group One VRC Sprint Classic at the end of the Melbourne spring carnival.

The mare returned from a year-long absence in August to win first-up at Caulfield before scoring a dominant Group One victory in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.

She defeated Queenslander Buffering in the Moir before he went on to plunder three successive Group One events including the Manikato and the VRC Sprint.

The four-year-old's trainer Mick Price told Racing Victoria the mare had returned to pre-training on Monday at Rockmount Stud.

Along with two feature Melbourne sprints, Price is also looking at the weight-for-age TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney in April for Samaready.

"She's very well in herself. She has had about a month off and is in lovely condition," Price said.

"We're thinking we'll go to the Lightning with her and then the Newmarket and then five weeks after the Newmarket into the TJ Smith in Sydney."

The TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) has received a prizemoney boost for 2014 to $2.5 million.

Samaready has won six of her nine starts including the 2012 Blue Diamond Stakes.