Racing: Boom trotter returns to reclaim place at top

Trotting's forgotten horse quietly returns to centre stage at Alexandra Park tonight.

Watch Him Trot will have his first start since the Harness Jewels last May when he contests the $15,000 main trot.

A suspensory injury has kept him sidelined ever since but before that setback he was shaping as one of the most exciting trotters in the country.

After starting his 4 -year-old season as a maiden he won his way through to open class, showing great speed for a big horse.

With the subsequent comeback of Stig, the rejuvenation of One Over Kenny and the emergence of Sovereignty, Watch Him Trot has fallen off most people's radar.

And trainer-driver Tony Grayling says that suits him just fine heading into tonight's race.

"He is going to need a couple of races to come back to something like his peak," sad Grayling.

"And he has got a pretty tough handicap, being off 40m, so I will be happy for him to be running on nicely at the finish."

Grayling thinks enough of Watch Him Trot to set him for the $300,000 Rowe Cup on May 1, which means a clash with the all-conquering Stig and this season's vintage crop of open class trotters.

But even in tonight's race he meets former Interdominion champion Galleons Sunset off level marks.

While Watch Him Trot's comeback will be interesting, one of the most watched horses to appear at tonight's meeting will be one most punters have never seen.

Stormy Sirocco makes his debut in the maiden juvenile event and the son of Elsu is rated one of the most exciting 2-year-olds seen in the north this season.