The first Victorian two-year-old trot of the 2025 racing season kicks off tomorrow at Bendigo.

This event features two runners prepared by Mark Hayes, three by Brad Angove, and three by Chris Angove.

Truscotts Elegance, Northern Truscott, and Maximum Courage are sired by the old warrior of Victorian trotters, Sundons Courage (pictured), who is also racing this Friday in the Haras Des Trotteurs McNamara Memorial Geelong Trotters Cup. A fantastic testament to the standardbred breed, as well as the dedication to the sport from the Angove family.

Helpisontheway, Six Pack and Muscle M Up are also seeing their first trotting foals hitting the track in this event.

Aldebaran Tucker and Iconic Imagine have been tested at the trials and have subsequently qualified in much faster times. The Chris and Brad Angove-trained runners were well held in their trials, so it is much harder to gauge their ability at this stage.

1. ALDEBARAN TUCKER
Trainer: Mark Hayes / Driver: Mark Hayes
Sire: Helpisontheway / Dam: Aldebaran Takara (gelding)
The second Australian-born foal by Helpisontheway to step out on the racetrack. His first foal to race is Cant Be Helped, who is currently racing as a pacer in Queensland. So, it's safe to say that Helpisontheway is still unproven as a trotting stallion. His dam, Aldebaran Takara, has full American bloodlines.
In a recent trial at Maryborough, he was beaten a neck margin behind stablemate Iconic Imagine in a mile rate of 2.04.9, which is a strong time for an early two-year-old trotter at that track. In this trial, he showed a lot of natural ability.
He was purchased for $13,000 from the 2024 Melbourne Nutrien Equine Yearling Sale.

2. TRUSCOTTS ELEGANCE
Trainer: Brad Angove / Driver: Jordan Leedham (C)
Sire: Sundons Courage / Dam: Shining Truscott (filly)
A chestnut filly out of the family of Truscott Law, Truscott Steel, Bad Boy Truscott, and Kvintet Hill. She won a trial in February at Maryborough, defeating Maximum Courage and Whatta Summer, who are also in this event. In this trial, they ran a mile rate of 2.16.1. She was slow away in this trial and settled last but flashed home impressively to win.

3. ICONIC IMAGE
Trainer: Mark Hayes / Driver: David Miles
Sire: Six Pack / Dam: Shes An Image (gelding)
Iconic Image has shown ability but greenness at the trials. He drifted off the track in a recent trial at Maryborough but still won, beating Aldebaran Tucker in 2.04.9. There seems to be very little separating these two stablemates on exposed trial form.
He’s out of classy race mare Shes An Image, who is a 100% foal-to-winner-producing mare. She is the dam of Builder Bob, Evas Image, Hes A Hammer, and Ewing. He is the first foal of super star stallion Six Pack to race.
He visually was a standout in the 2024 Melbourne Nutrien Equine Yearling Sale and sold for $33,000.

4. AFRICAN GALA
Trainer: Chris Angove / Driver: Chris Alford
Sire: Pastor Stephen / Dam: Rift Valley (colt)
He did everything right and looked to have good action in a recent slow trial at Maryborough. Ceejay On Broadway and Maximum Courage beat him in this trial, but they all seemed well held, and it wasn’t an accurate gauge of ability.
He’s out of the 11-time winner Rift Valley and is from the family that has produced Scruffy Doolan and Magic Owens.

5. NORTHERN TRUSCOTT
Trainer: Brad Angove / Driver: Luke Dunne (C)
Sire: Sundons Courage / Dam: Yankee Truscott (filly)
He trialed safely against Ceejay On Broadway and African Gala. It's hard to gauge his ability from that performance, and he has an awkward barrier here. He comes from the same family as Truscotts Elegance.

6. MAXIMUM COURAGE
Trainer: Brad Angove / Driver: John Caldow
Sire: Sundons Courage / Dam: Truscott Law (gelding)
He looked strong when finishing second in the trial won by Truscotts Elegance. He is a full brother to Courages Law, who won his first start as a two-year-old at Bendigo in 2023. Same family as Truscotts Elegance.

7. CEEJAY ON BROADWAY
Trainer: Chris Angove / Driver: Ellen Tormey
Sire: Muscle M Up / Dam: Ceejay Success (filly)
The first Australian-born foal sired by Muscle M Up to race in Australia. Muscle M Up is a son of the great Muscle Hill. Ceejay On Broadway is also the first foal of the nine-time winning mare Ceejay Success. There are many unknowns with this runner, but he didn’t let Northern Truscott and African Gala run past him in the recent trial at Maryborough. In this trial, he didn’t appear fully tested.

8. WHATTA SUMMER
Trainer: Chris Angove / Driver: Jack Laugher
Sire: What The Hill / Dam: Summerline (filly)
A filly out of 11-time winning Sundon mare Summerline, who has produced three winners, including Viksun. She showed good gate speed in a trial at Maryborough, unfortunately, she can't utilise that asset here as she is the only runner off the second line. However, the advantage of the barrier is the time and space she'll have to settle and get comfortable early.