Superstar pacer Lochinvar Art is bound for his hometown Shepparton Gold Cup after a “perfect” trial display at Tabcorp Park Melton on Tuesday.

David Moran gave his champion a quiet hit-out in a two-horse clash with Tango Tara, and while he wasn’t quite able to reel in the leader during a dash to the line, the six-year-old pleased the trainer-driver with the first-up performance.

“I’m really, really happy,” Moran said.

“That was the perfect trial for him first-up. He’s had a lot of ground work at home, but not a lot of speed work so that will tighten him up.”

Lochinvar Art trailed the Andy Gath-trained Tango Tara for the entire 2240m trip, with the pair zipping home in final quarters of 28.2sec and 27.0sec to record a mile rate of 1:56.9min.

The January 15 Shepparton Gold Cup now looms large for the son of Modern Art, who will be out to defend the title he claimed last year.

“Obviously the recovery is the biggest thing now. That will tell us where he’s at, but that will be his main aim,” Moran said.

“I’d like to give him (a run in) the Shepparton Cup, then miss the Ballarat Cup (January 22), go to the Casey Classic (January 29) and then the Hunter Cup (February 5) would be ideal.”

WATCH LOCHINVAR ART'S TRIAL FROM DAVID MORAN'S HELMET CAMERA BELOW:

* vision courtesy Campbells Comments

Lochinvar Art’s last racetrack appearance was in the 2021 Hunter Cup, which he won in brilliant fashion to register a 28th career triumph and take his earnings up over $1.3 million.

He had been aimed at March’s Miracle Mile in New South Wales, but hoof and leg issues forced him to the sidelines for an extended period of time. He has been nursed back to fitness by Belinda and Luke McCarthy at Cobbitty Equine Farm while serving mares and returned to Moran’s Kialla stables after the Inter Dominion Championships during mid-December.

WATCH DAVID MORAN'S POST-TRIAL INTERVIEW BELOW:

Among the other stars to trial at Melton on Tuesday was Cruz Bromac, who is set to return to the races this Saturday night at Bendigo.

The New Zealand Trotting Cup winner has not raced since November 2020 when he was essentially retired, but has shown good signs in his recent work for trainer Dean Braun.

He was driven by Greg Sugars in the trial, where he led and was run down in the shadows of the post by stablemate Willie Go West.

“I was really happy with him,” Braun said.

“The first trial we gave him a soft trial, then his second trial he did a little bit more and then had 10 days off. He came back and trialed today…

“I think they broke 55sec on the way home, which is pretty good. He seems to have pulled up good, his heart is good, so it’s all systems go from here on in.”

The Ballarat Cup and Hunter Cup are among the major short-term assignments for the 10-year-old, who will bypass the Bendigo Pacing Cup for an NR 80-120 event on Saturday night.

Cruz Bromac is a two-time Group 1 winner in New Zealand, with the 2018 NZ Free For All and 2019 NZ Trotting Cup both on his resume. He also won the elite level Len Smith Mile in New South Wales during 2018, with his career record standing at 23 victories from 53 career starts for $1,057,995 in earnings.

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