The VOBIS Gold Carat at Caulfield on Saturday was a bonus in more ways than one for Trust In A Gust.

The chunky chestnut kept his strike-rate bubbling with a brilliant victory in the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Carat (1200m).  He has now won 5 times in 8 starts and VOBIS bonuses have sent his bank account past $300,000.

Trust In A Gust (3c Keep The Faith – Subtle Breeze by Storm Cat) also boosted the value of his younger half-brother by Equiano to be offered by Swettenham Stud at this week’s Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Damien Oliver gave him the run of the race along the rails before angling into the clear at the top of the straight.  He accelerated like a nice horse to put the race away at the furlong.

“I gave him a let-up after we won the VOBIS Gold at Ballarat back in November,” trainer Darren Weir recalled.  “When he did so well in the paddock, I decided to have another look at the calendar.

“This race was still six weeks away so we freshened him up at home.  I was going to take him to the beach but he’s not the easiest horse to handle.

“There are several syndicates from Ballarat in the horse and a lot of them are young people which is terrific.  So is the bonus money winning these VOBIS Gold and Super VOBIS races.

“He’s still under-done.  We will get stuck in and prepare him for another $150,000 VOBIS Gold race at Moonee Valley in three weeks.”

Swettenham Stud also welcomed Saturday’s result.  Its Equiano half-brother to Trust In A Gust has been catalogued as Lot 114 on Wednesday afternoon at the Magic Millions.

They are from USA bred mare Subtle Breeze who is a three-quarter sister to 1994 English Oaks winner Balanchine (Storm Bird).

Equiano (Fr) was a Group 1 winner of the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2008 and 2010.  A son of champion sire and sires of sires Acclamation, he has four first-crop yearlings for sale on the Gold Coast.

Swettenham Stud manager Brian Gorman was also riding Trust In A Gust home on the Gold Coast.  “The Equiano colt has been well received since we arrived on the sale grounds,” he said.  “That win at Caulfield was exactly the result we wanted.”

Swettenham Stud’s Magic Millions yearlings can be inspected at Stable QA on the Gold Coast.

EQUIANO – SUBTLE BREEZE COLT
Half-brother to VOBIS Gold Carat winner Trust In A Gust