It's Binn a big week on the Victorian trials circuit, with four Blackbookers emerging including a just turned four-year-old trotter who is down to step out twice in a week.

Binn Watching produced an eye-catching trial at Shepparton on December 28 for trainer Rosemarie Weidenbach, showing "terrific" gate speed to lead and then scoring "by a comfortable margin".

His only run to date was a fourth on Humbletonian Day at Maryborough but he steps out in the fourth (3.15pm) today at Boort and is $12 at time of writing with TAB. He's also down to contest the fourth race at Geelong next Wednesday.

Sergeant Lou was also plucked from the Shepparton trials and into the Blackbook, while Bout Damn Time and Callmethebreeze were eye-catchers at Melton.

Callmethebreeze is a new addition to Anton Golino and Pat Driscoll's Yabby Dam Farms, who carries an amazing reputation on the back of more than $AU1.6 million earned in Europe. He was impressive in his trial, which could prompt the camp to propel him into the summer's premier racing.  

Here are the highlights from the Victorian trials circuit, with Blackbook and engagements at the bottom.

SHEPPARTON 28/12/23

 

Trial 1: - SERGEANT LOU created a huge impression with his runaway victory in the opening trial. He showed good gate speed from barrier four to find the lead, ran along at a rapid rate and rushed away from his rivals to win by a large margin. He hasn’t started since a seventh in the Super Series Final and looks set for a big campaign. DAY TWO finished in second position after trailing the leader throughout and SUMMER SCHOOL did well for third after settling five back on the inside, working hard to get into third at the 900m and battling away late.

Mile Rate:  - 1.56.4                        Last Half: - 55.0                        Margins: - 30m, 20m

BLACKBOOKER: - Sergeant Lou

Trial 2: - LOOKIN GOOD MARGIE won the trial for the new season juvenile pacers in which all three runners were prepared by Rita Burnett. She led throughout and scored softly. She is by He’s Watching out of the race winning mare My Girl Pearl (1.57.7, $55,868), which is a daughter of another handy race mare in Stihletto (1.57.1, $116,359). BOLT OF COBARGO is a son of the former Emma Stewart prepared pacer The Storm Inside and finished second after trailing the leader throughout. GRIMSHAW BAY, a daughter of Downbytheseaside, was last of the three runners throughout.

Mile Rate: - 2.3.9                           Last Half: - 59.2                        Margins: - 8m, 1m

Trial 3: - BINN WATCHING showed terrific gate speed to rush across the face of the field and find the lead shortly after the start. He was always a clear leader and scored by a comfortable margin. He has only had the one start for a fourth and should be suited to racing against the maiden class. He is competing at Boort this afternoon and could run a cheeky race. MADIGAN settled six back on the inside, made a move at the quarter pole and made up many lengths at the end. He backed up at Echuca on New Years Day and won with authority, which further enhances the performance of BINN WATCHING in the trial. THE MAJORS GIRL made up ground from five back on the markers to run into a distant third.

Mile Rate: - 2.3.4                           Last Half: - 58.7                        Margins: - 3m, 10m

BLACKBOOKER: - Binn Watching

Trial 5: - INVITATION ONLY NZ continued his good trial form with a victory over FOUR STAR SAINT. He settled last of the six runners, moved away from the markers at the 600m mark and sustained a strong run to claim victory on the line. FOUR STAR SAINT trailed the leader and used the sprint lane to finish in second spot with the early leader HONEST HARRIETTE holding down third. She kicked well clear before the home turn and just peaked on her run in the final stages. INVITATION ONLY NZ and HONEST HARRIETTE are both competing at Cobram on Sunday afternoon.

Mile Rate: - 2.0.1                           Last Half: - 58.1                        Margins: - Head, 1m

 

BACCHUS MARSH 30/12/23

Trial 3: - The open class trotter ULTIMATE STRIDE NZ was able to defeat the pacers in reasonable time. He hasn’t started since a second in the Noopy Kiosk FFA back in June but has started building on a trial campaign and went around again at the Melton trials on Wednesday afternoon. IDEAL SON hasn’t started since September and was the first of the pacers to cross the line, finishing ahead of LIVELY RASCAL, AUCKLAND RED and CARUSO STAR.

Mile Rate: - 2.2.5                           Last Half: - 60.1                        Margins: - 5m,5m

Trial 4: - MAJESTIC CONNIES NZ took out the standing start trial for the trotters. He was stood down to trial after breaking stride at Shepparton on December 23 and bounced back with his comfortable trial success over HES THEMIGHTYSPIN, which backed up again at the Melton trials on Wednesday afternoon. BILLYSWEARINEM was third across the line and also went to the Melton trials four days later.

Mile Rate: - 2.6.9                           Last Half: - 62.4                        Margins: - 8m, 2.5m

 

TERANG 02/01/24

Trial 1: - LOTAMUSCLE NZ hasn’t raced since winning the Sundons Gift FFA in December 2022 and was placed in an Inter Dominion heat at Geelong prior. He has been performing quite nicely at the trials and was able to win the opening event from FREDRHYS with the unraced 3yo NOTHING I WANT being third across the line. She is by Father Patrick out of the former handy race mare Four Walls (1.57.7, $85,906). The fourth placed MAJESTIC ACT is also an unraced 3yo with some good breeding. He is by Majestic Son out of the top mare Claudys Princess (1.55.5, $401,803).

Mile Rate: - 2.4.0                           Last Half: - 59.3                        Margins: - 3m, 60m

Trial 2: - The exciting trotter KEAYANG IGNITE has won seven of his nine starts to date including the Swan Hill Cup. He recorded slick time in his trial success over KEAYANG CHUCKY, which performed well to get within a length at the end. KEAYANG CHUCKY hasn’t raced since his Breeders Crown success in November so it was a quality trial. The pair were able to get well clear of ALDEBARAN SIMBA and CALANTHE.

Mile Rate: - 1.58.7                         Last Half: - 56.6                        Margins: - 2.5m, 74m

Trial 3: - HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN NZ has been unplaced in all of his three starts this campaign but he is a smart horse when racing at his peak and indicated that he might be ready to fire with a runaway trial success over JILLIBY KUNG FU. He recorded a slick mile rate of 1.56.6 and scored by over fifty metres with the proven sire JILLIBY KUNG FU finishing well clear of the third placed PLAY ALTO.

Mile Rate: - 1.56.6                         Last Half: - 58.2                        Margins: - 55m, 62.5m

 

MELTON ENTERTAINMENT PARK 03/01/24

Trial 1: - HESITATE is a new season juvenile, which performed several times at the trials prior to the end of last season. He settled last of the three runners and finished off quickly to down the 3yo pacer HART OF CYPRUS, which attempted to lead throughout with STORMY WOODS (behind leader) being last of the three runners to cross the line.

Mile Rate: - 1.58.9                         Last Half: - 57.73       Margins: - 3m, 7m

Trial 5: - BOUT DAMN TIME is an unraced filly by Art Major out of the former handy mare Sounds Alive NZ (1.54.6). She is a close relation to 4 winners including Sounds of Terror (1.52.4) and Soundsofcash (1.55.1, $123,300) so she is nicely bred and she showed plenty of promise in the trial after settling down six back on the markers before coming out four horses wide at the quarter pole and finishing off strongly. BRAVE BONDI finished in second position after trailing the leader and coming to the outside at the 600m. ODIN settled down in fourth, moved into the one out and one back trail in the back straight and finished third past the post despite racing very greenly over the latter stages. GENERAL LINCOLN (5 back markers) was fourth and THE IRON DUKE came from a clear last early to run an eye-catching fifth.

Mile Rate: - 1.59.7                         Last Half: - 62.07       Margins: - 2.5m, 1.5m

BLACKBOOKER: - Bout Damn Time

Trial 7: - PRIVATE EYE is a very smart pacer, which has been freshened since winning the Breeders Crown Graduate in November. He was completely dominant in his victory over CLASSIC ANGELINA after leading throughout and recording slick time. CLASSIC ANGELINA sat in the trail throughout and was keeping up until peaking on the home turn. The most interesting runner of the trials was the French bred stallion CALLMETHEBREEZE FRA.  He is the winner of over 1.5 million dollars in Stakes money and carries a personal best mile of 1.53.0. He boasts a National Rating of 120 so he goes straight into the open class in Australia but he was very impressive in the trial. He settled six back on the inside and stormed home to finish in third spot ahead of another open class trotter in ULTIMATE STRIDE NZ, which settled four back on the markers.

Mile Rate: - 1.56.4                         Last Half: - 56.1                        Margins: - 29.5m, 12m

BLACKBOOKER: - CALLMETHEBREEZE FRA

Trial 8: - INMYDREAMS stepped away quickly from the standing start and pushed forward to find the lead at the 1800m, He was able to hold on and beat SIMONE LINDENNY NZ, which sprinted quickly from sixth at the 300m mark. She has recently joined trainer Brent Lilley after coming down to Victoria from New South Wales. EXALTED has been transferred to trainer Jess Tubbs and produced a good effort to finish in third after galloping away and settling seven back on the markers.

Mile Rate: - 2.8.4                           Last Half: - 58.92       Margins: - Neck, 7m