As he farewells one of his favourite horses from the racetrack, trainer Clarry Conners is looking forward to the spring with another.

Conners confirmed the retirement of stakes winner Satin Shoes who suffered a knee injury when she was galloped on in the Lightning Stakes at Eagle Farm on June 8.

While he regrets he could not get a Group One win with Satin Shoes he is confident Assail is ready to step up in the spring.

Assail was a race morning scratching from the Magic Millions in January for which she was favourite and she was also the early market leader for the Golden Slipper.

A deep seated foot abscess was detected and although he got her back to racing within weeks, Conners lost the battle to get her into the Slipper field.

But her trainer said she had turned the corner and it was full steam ahead for the spring.

"Assail came back to the stable a few days ago and she looks super," Conners said.

"She has about another half inch left of her hoof to grow and she'll be perfect.

"We are looking to run her in the sprints in the spring starting with the San Domenico.

"Unfortunately Satin Shoes hurt her leg badly and she has been retired and will go to stud.

"It's a shame she never quite got to where we wanted her to."

A Group One placegetter behind Sepoy and Foxwedge in the 2011 Coolmore Stud Stakes, Satin Shoes showed her talent early with the Group Two Silver Slipper among her wins.

Before she went to Brisbane for her latest campaign, the mare won the Listed Ortensia Stakes at the Scone festival in May.

While she is off to the breeding barn, Victorian Oaks winner Dear Demi will be kept in training with the Caulfield Cup her aim.

"Dear Demi will be back in the stable this week after a short break and we'll get her ready for the Caulfield Cup," Conners said.

The filly was a distant runner-up to Royal Descent in the Australian Oaks in the autumn and has had just a few weeks off since finishing out of the money in the Queensland Oaks at the beginning of this month.