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By Ray Hickson

It would appear connections of lightly raced three-year-old Iowna Merc are in for a bit of fun this winter after his outstanding return at Friday’s Canterbury trials.

The 900m heat was his first appearance since a midfield finish behind Kalino at Randwick back on Christmas Eve and taking a line through the horse he picked up to win the trial, Tamerlane, it says he’s a horse to watch.

Tamerlane has won seven races including four of his last five and is race fit, so for Iowna Merc to give him a start and run him down it’s a positive sign especially at his first trial this prep. Both horses trialled well and they ran 57.23 which was fastest of the 900m heats.

He has a 69 rating so Bjorn Baker has plenty of room to move with the gelding.

Baker was strong at this session and his trusty grey Frosty Rocks made a promising return from a 15 month break as he led throughout and held last start Group 3 winner Vilana.

The grey seemed happy to be back at the races, he sprung out of the gates to lead and lobbed along at his leisure. It’s likely he’ll trial again but this was encouraging for the future.

Vilana would be headed north for the winter carnival and he ticked over well staying about a length off Frosty Rocks throughout the trial.

Iowna Merc wins a Canterbury trial on Friday

Keep an eye on Matthew Smith’s import Royal Robbins who was having his second trial and was asked to do a bit more in this one. He finished full of running in fifth place.

Arrowfield Stakes winner Aft Cabin certainly wasn’t asked for an effort in his gallop finishing fourth, a half length from Wingardium in his trial over 898m. They ran handy enough time and he should head north and hold his form.

Ozzmosis is an unraced two-year-old from the Baker stable and he was dynamic, despite the slow time, in winning his trial. He scored in one of the early two-year-old sessions in the spring and was put away.

He settled last and wanted to throw the head around but he quickly tracked into it coming to the turn and by the 200m he was sailing away to an easy win. Likely to trial again.

Queen Of Dragons also recorded relatively slow time in her trial win, a couple of lengths slower than Ozzmosis, but she’s already got some form on the board through a last start second to Militarize back in February.

She always travelled well behind the speed and eased around the leader’s heels and wound up to win narrowly. In Flight was that leader and she’s unraced.

Certainly no disgrace from the Joe Pride-trained filly in running second as she wasn’t pressured.

A few others to mention – Fawkner Park was having his second trial and he scored well over the 1100m with Jett Stanley allowing him to work through on the inside and edge away. Ex-Kiwi Meritable closed off late under some urgings in the fastest of the heats over the longer trip.

Oriental Tycoon is ex-Snowden and now with Chris Waller, he stayed right out of trouble in his trial and flowed along well a couple of lengths off the placings. Placed in four of five starts and expect him to fire.

And Time Quest is an import placed in both starts in the UK in June last year, he was under riding to near the turn but once he picked up the bit he was very nice late running into second some four lengths off the winner.

All the results and replays from Friday's Canterbury trials