CHRISTMAS celebrations extended into Boxing Day for a trio of Bendigo trainers.

Brad Cole, Bob Donat and Graeme McQueen each landed winners on one of the busiest days of the Victorian racing calendar.

It was an especially special day for Cole, who notched his first TAB-meeting win since returning to training following his brush with death.

Kinjulator’s benchmark 58 win at Kerang came a few months after a severe bout of influenza A put the popular horseman in an induced coma for two weeks.

It was the six-year-old gelding’s second win on the trot following his success at a picnic meeting at Year earlier in December.

Kinjulator was brilliantly ridden by zero-claiming apprentice Jordan Turner, who was one of two jockeys to score a double at Kerang, alongside Chelsea MacFarlane.

A productive month for Bendigo trainers – highlighted by Friday night wins at Moonee Valley to Anne Yates and Allen Browell and a pair of placings for Brendon Hearps – continued when the Donat-trained Catechesis proved too strong for his rivals in a 1400m benchmark 64 at Kerang.

The seven-year-old mare was returning from a five-week freshen-up and won her second race from her last three starts.

The mare previously saluted over 1400m at Bendigo on November 14.

At Wodonga, the McQueen-trained Dornale posted consecutive wins for the first time in his 56-race career following a narrow win in a 2050m benchmark 58 handicap.

His eighth career win tipped the former Graham Browney-trained gelding’s career prize earnings over the $80,000 mark.

A bunch of the region’s trainers, including Shane Fliedner, Shaun Dwyer, Kym Hann and Mick Sell, will target Sunday’s New Year’s Eve meeting at Echuca.

Meanwhile, Courtney Pace stretched her lead at the top of the Victorian picnic jockey’s premiership by booting home a double at Drouin on Boxing Day.

Pace combined with Pakenham trainer Tom Scanlon and Mornington mentor Kelvin Southey to land wins in the final two events on a six-race program.

The 28-year-old, who is attempting back-to-back picnic jockey premierships, now has 13 wins for the season, seven ahead of nearest rival Reece Goodwin.