Trots Centre: Herbertson flying after stint on the sidelines

Top young driver James Herbertson sat on the sidelines through the back end of June and early part of July through suspension, but has hit the ground running with a flood of success since his return.

Before Thursday night’s Echuca meeting, the 21-year-old had landed 11 wins from 40 drives since getting back to the track, at a strike rate better than 25 per cent.

Herbertson admitted it had been a “crazy” run of form, but certainly wasn’t complaining with his fortunes.

“I usually come back a bit sharper once (I’ve) had a bit of a freshen up, but this time has been better than any other time for sure,” he said.

“I would have liked to have gone on a holiday, but with COVID and everything I didn’t want to be left in the lurch somewhere and not be able to get back in Victoria. So I stayed home, just worked here and got a heap of jobs done.

“For the first two weeks, it was killing me. It felt like I’d been out for six weeks. But the last week I sort of relaxed into it a bit more and enjoyed it.”

Herbertson landed a double from just two drives at Ballarat’s Wednesday night meeting, with Dream Asset (Greg Eeles) and Miss Dangerfield (Paul Warnock) both scoring late on the card.

“A lot of the horses have been in good races, have had a bit of luck and things have gone their way. It’s just the way the cards have fallen,” he said.

Herbertson, the son of well-known Lexton trainer Ashleigh, started driving in the 2015-16 season and has racked up 480 victories in the sulky.

He heads to Tabcorp Park Melton on Friday night for four drives, the best of which he feels is the Isabel Walsh-trained Vintage Blu, who goes around in the Hip Pocket Workwear and Safety Pace. The gelding is a last-start Kilmore winner and Herbertson jumps in the bike for his first drive of the three-year-old.

“He’s a nice little horse,” Herbertson said.

“It’s a bit of a tricky draw, but if he comes into 10 it will make it a little bit easier, if the first emergency doesn’t get a run.

“In that race there’s three off the front row that go nice enough, but he’ll be thereabouts for sure.”

Vintage Blu is a half-brother to the multiple Group 1-winning mare Tell Me Tales, who won her Vicbred Super Series division finals at ages three and four.

The Melton meeting is the third in succession on a Friday night, with Saturday evening metropolitan racing currently on a tour around the state.

The 10-race card will again get expanded Trots Vision coverage, with Dan Mielicki to call all of the action from 5.27pm.