TRUST In A Gust returns to racing at Flemington on Saturday with the WS Cox Plate a possible spring target.
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The two-time group 1 winner will line up in the group 3 $150,000 Aurie's Star Handicap, 1200m.
This will be his first start since a second in the VOBIS Gold Sprint at Caulfield on April 18.
Trust In Gust is among a powerful contingent of nominations for the Ballarat stable of Darren Weir for four of the spring's big races.
Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, Cauilfield Guineas and Thousand Guineas entries closed on Tuesday.
Imported stayer Dandino looms as the spring x-factor for Weir.
Dandino, which is nominated for the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate, is on the comeback trail after injury forced him to miss last year's spring carnival.
The now nine-year-old is yet to race with Weir, having had his last run in England in September last year after finishing second in the US St Leger.
Dandino finished second in the 2013 Caulfield Cup and fifth in the Melbourne Cup the same year when prepared by Marco Botti.
Lord Van Percy, Tall Ship and Lanayir are other imports with Weir nominated for the Caulfield Cup.
Lord Van Percy has had just the one start in Australia - for English trainer Andrew Balding when fourth in the Herbert Power Handicap - and Lanayir has had just the one start for Weir after transferring from Chris Waller.
Tall Ship will go into the spring on back of a string of country cup victories, including the Warrnambool Cup.
The obvious absentee for Weir is last year's Melbourne Cup fourth placegetter Signoff, which has been sidelined by injury.
Ballarat stable nominations:
CAULFIELD CUP at Caulfield on October 27 (209 entries):
Darren Weir: Count of Limonade, Dandino, Dylan's Promise, Lady Cumquat, Lord Van Percy, Lunayir, Master Of Arts, May's Dream, Prince of Penzance, Stratum Star, Taiyoo, Tall Ship, Zanteca
Robert Smerdon: Genuine Lad, Noble Protector
Archie Alexander: Renew, Ruscello, Sir Walter Scott
WS COX PLATE at Moonee Valley on October 24 (173 entries):
Darren Weir: Dandino, Lucky Hussler, May's Dream, Prince of Penzance, Stratum Star, Trust In A Gust
Robert Smerdon: Noble Protector
THOUSAND GUINEAS at Caulfield on October 10 (276 entries):
Robert Smerdon: Andrioli, Cazonet, Chabaud, Indarra
Darren Weir: Jazahar, Kiss In The Rain, Lasayette. Myhro, New Graduate, Rising Hope, Santoreneos, The Big Le Boomski, Von Galleta
CAULFIELD GUINEAS at Caulfield on October 10 (289 entries):
Robert Smerdon: Ability, Our Boy Leo, Regal Witness,
Colin Rees: Automatic Choice
Archie Alexander: Bequest, Twelfth Raj
Darren Weir: Boogie Woogie Man, Craven Image, Cullinan, El Dante, Get The Dukes Out, Howard Be Thy Name, Justa Hint, Kracken, Mac's Mettle, Mahuta, On The Porch, Palentino, Petracca, Starsi, Stellar Collision, Stringer Bell,
Mark Lewis: The Card Players
HORSHAM was the setting for a breakthrough win for Ballarat trainer Adam Burns and jockey Amber Sims.
Rouge Fontaine ($3.80) took out a maiden, 1400m, to give Burns his first win as a trainer and end an 18-month drought for Sims.
The four-year-old mare is the only horse Burns has in work and the win came at the seventh start for the daughter of Turffontein.
"I've only trained a few before," Burns told racing.com ,
The 21-year-old Sims is from New Zealand became a Racing Victoria apprentice this year.
BALLARAT trainer Dan O'Sullivan has given his new season a kick-start.
Shinady ($6) provided an early start in a maiden, 1800m, at Horsham on Sunday.
The four-year-old mare had been unplaced in her previous six starts.