Tough gelding Hopfgarten is back home in Brisbane to be prepared for the summer carnival with the Magic Millions Trophy a target.

Hopfgarten accompanied stable star Buffering to Melbourne for the spring and while he was unplaced in all four starts he was far from disgraced.

At his most recent run, Hopfgarten was a handy sixth, 2-1/2 lengths behind the winner Awesome Rock in the Listed Symphony Stakes (1800m) on Melbourne Cup day.

Trainer Robert Heathcote then elected to bring Hopfgarten back to Brisbane.

"He didn't have much luck in any of his Melbourne runs and I was happy with him," Heathcote said.

"He looks the ideal type for the summer carnival races and the Magic Millions Trophy."

"Hopfgarten is having a freshen-up on the water walker and I will bring him back into the stables this week."

"It is too soon for Recognition Stakes which is on Saturday. But he will be ready for the Brisbane Handicap over 1600 metres two weeks after that."

Heathcote said Hopfgarten was then likely to run in the Bernborough Hcp (1600m) on December 19 before heading to the Magic Millions Trophy (1800m) on January 9.

The trainer said Buffering was progressing well ahead of his bid to win a second Group One Winterbottom Stakes in Perth on Saturday.

Heathcote will go to Perth early this week to monitor Buffering's final lead-up work.

Meanwhile, he is hoping for a quick recovery for promising three-year-old Privlaka who was a late scratching at the barrier after being kicked by another horse at Doomben on Saturday.