Jack Laugher is hoping Our Vincent Can Gogh can launch his open class career on a winning note in the $30,000 Moama Bowling Club Echuca Pacing Cup on New Year’s Day night.

A finalist in this year’s Victoria Derby, Our Vincent Can Gogh will trail out stable mate John McLean in the running line and Laugher is hoping to settle in front of his main rivals, who have to contend with awkward second row draws.

“John McLean has a bit of gate speed and it would be good to settle handy and not have to cart up those from back in the field,” Laugher said.

He said the Julie Douglas prepared son of Vincent had matured as a racehorse in recent months.

“For a while there his manners were a bit touchy - I remember one day at Cobram I couldn’t get him out of the parade ring,” he said.

“But he has calmed down a lot now and he is a much better racehorse, as you can see in his form.”

Our Vincent Can Gogh has featured in the quinella at five of his past six starts and Laugher believes he will handle the staying trip (2560m) given the right run.

“Most of his recent racing has been over the short trips, but he won over 2240m two starts ago at Melton and he raced in the Derby over 2760m,” he said.

Stawell Trotters Cup runner-up Double Felix has drawn to give his rivals something to chase in the Arch Electrical Echuca Trotters Cup.

A standing start specialist, the Phillip Giles trained Double Helix has drawn three and driver Jackie Barker acknowledges the stars could align for the seven-year-old should he find the front around the tight Echuca circuit.

“He goes best when he’s in front, which is why Phillip keeps him to racing on the smaller tracks, and it’s a full field where the backmarkers have more horses to get around,” Barker said. “The plan is to go to the front and see what happens."

Barker is confident of featuring in the finish if Double Helix races up to his narrow defeat at the hands of multiple Group 3 winner One Over All at Stawell.

“I had a good gap on them on the turn but One Over All is a classy horse and he only just grabbed us on the line,” she said

TUNE IN at ECHUCA on Monday 

First Race: 5.34pm Last Race: 9.54pm
Racecaller: Rob Auber.
TrotsVision: WATCH LIVE
SEN Track: LISTEN LIVE 
RSN 927: LISTEN LIVE

Winner of the Week

MAX DELIGHT, by Bettors Delight out of Lady Euthenia, winner of the Benstud Standardbreds Sokyola Sprint at Melton on December 23.
 Breed your next winner with Woodlands Stud, supporter of Trots Centre
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The good oil from the Vic trials circuit

BLACKBOOKER: Echuca, R7 N6, Dessie Gee
At Shepparton on November 30, DESSIE GEE hadn’t raced since a fourth at Swan Hill back in October 2022. He appeared to be somewhere near his peak form at the trials, however, considering he settled last of the five runners, moved into the one-out-and-one-back trail at the 500m and finished off fast in slick final sectionals to beat a strong field. REPORT & REPLAY
BLACKBOOKER: Echuca, R8 N7, Strong Response
STRONG RESPONSE, who commenced his career in New South Wales prior to heading up to Queensland and performing well in the Sunshine State, has recently joined trainer Sam Karamalikis and performed nicely at his trial success at Bacchus Marsh on December 23. He scored by a large margin over the open class trotter ULTIMATE STRIDE. REPORT