SUPERSTAR pacer Lochinvar Art is recovering from another significant injury setback, but the Melbourne Inter Dominion still remains his target.

The one-time toast of Australasian pacing pulled a shoe and was forced into a plaster cast for several weeks.

Caretaker trainer Rodney Lakey is only now starting to get Lochinvar Art close to doing pace work again.

“He cut his foot, right up in the bulb of the heel,” Lakey said. “It was crucial to protect the area so they put him in a plaster cast and he was boxed for six weeks.

“He’s really only been jogging since and is just moving up to some pace work now.

“He would be about two-and-a-half months away from a trial.”

That timing still makes the Victoria Cup in October an option, but Lakey stressed Lochinvar Art would not be rushed at any stage.

Lochinvar Art showed glimpses of his best in a rushed comeback campaign from his serious leg injuries earlier this year, but then trainer-driver David Moran felt he wasn’t quite the horse he could be and opted for a long spell rather than a Miracle Mile tilt.

In other stable news, Lakey is thrilled with the progress of former NSW Derby winner Patsbeachstorm.

“His lost his way for a while, but he’s come back like the horse he looked like being after he won the Derby,” he said.

“He’s about ready to race and if he goes as well as we expect, we might even chase a Rising Sun start with him.”

ENJOY THE BEST OF LOCHINVAR ART VIA TROTSVISION ON DEMAND

WHAT an impressive training force Jason Grimson is becoming.

The former Riverina horseman shocked everyone winning the NSW Inter Dominion on protest with rejuvenated claimer Boncel Benjamin late last year.

But the upset win has merely served as an entrée to his stunning emergence.

Having conquered NZ last month with Majestic Cruiser, Grimson has his sights set on more success away from his Menangle base.

Grimson said Queensland in coming weeks and Victoria later in the year were firmly on his radar.

“I’ll head up to Queensland in the next week or so with a team,” Grimson said.

Heading that team will be Group 1 NZ Messenger winner Majestic Cruiser and former NZ Cup winner Cruz Bromac.

“Majestic Cruiser is about two weeks away from a race or trial and he’ll go to the Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake,” he said.

“Cruz Bromac is a 10-year-old, but gee he’s come back well, much better than I had him before Miracle Mile time. He’ll either trial at Menangle (Wednesday) or run in the Golden Mile at Menangle on Saturday night. Then he’ll go to Queensland.”

Grimson thinks stable newcomer Fire Fox, who made it four wins from five starts since coming across from NZ with a Menangle win last night, will be a feature race player.

“He’s the fastest horse I’ve ever sat behind,” he said. “I reckon he’ll be as good as Majestic Cruiser and Cruz Bromac in time.

“I’ll also take Ideal Dan up for the Rising Sun. He just wasn’t right in the APG final last time. I think he and a few others in the barn had a bit of a bug.

“I might go to the Redcliffe Cup with him, if I can qualify him.

“Super Apple will go up for the Redcliffe Derby and other races through until the Queensland Derby.”

Grimson said he could also play caretaker trainer for some horses from fellow Menangle trainers Jack Trainor and Cameron Ross.

“Jack’s got a couple of nice mares he wants to race up there and Cam (Ross) is looking at the Oaks with his nice filly Steno,” he said.

“We all work well together. There might be times we switch and I come back to Menangle and one of them heads up to look after the horses in Queensland.”

The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.