Paprika is poised to return to the big time in the $200,000 Myer Magic Millions Sprint at the Gold Coast on January 15.

Trainer Liam Birchley is confident her best days are still ahead of Paprika after she turned back the clock to score a barnstorming victory in the $100,000 Bat Out Of Hell Handicap on New Year’s Day.

Paprika (4m General Nediym – Honi by Marauding) was rated Queensland’s best juvenile two seasons ago after winning her first four races prior to finishing a neck second to Phelan Ready in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Birchley discovered the filly suffered knee chips which required an operation and a lengthy spell.  She returned for the 2009 Melbourne spring carnival but was diagnosed with heart arrhythmia after finishing last behind Headway in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington.

Paprika won a restricted sprint at the Brisbane winter carnival in May last year, however, she failed again when a long last in the Doomben 10,000 won by Hot Danish.

“She’s over all her problems now,” Birchley said on the weekend.  “I thought she would win on a good track, especially with the 8kg pull in weights, but when it was wet I wasn’t so sure.”

Paprika was a $75,000 buy from Furlong Stud at the 2008 Magic Millions Summer yearling sale and she has since won 6 times in 14 starts for earnings over $681,500.

Her dam Honi won a Gosford maiden for Flame Tree Stud and was subsequently sold for just $5,000 to Furlong owner Jim Atkinson at the 2003 Magic Millions Winter Sale.

Honi has experienced mixed results at stud.  She has an unraced 3yo named Jet Rider (Jet Spur) with Gai Waterhouse and 2yo filly Geniemac (Al Maher) being trained by Peter Moody.

Her Street Sense foal in 2009 was stillborn, she missed to Jet Spur last year and was covered by High Chaparral in September.