THE decision to cut down the number of horses in his team in favour of a more 'boutique-type stable' is producing early success for Junortoun trainer Justin Brewin.
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His victory with Whata Rockstar at Kilmore last Thursday night was the stable's fourth win in their last 10 starters.
It followed hot on the heels of success with Crossroader at Maryborough last Monday and Yellow Bow the previous week at Tabcorp Park Melton.
After going basically three months without a winner from November through to March, during a period in which his team of horses succumbed to a nasty bacterial infection, Brewin is stoked to be sitting on six wins for the season, highlighted by a purple patch since Crossroader's March 26 win at Bendigo.
"It's good to be back and getting into it properly," he said.
"I've basically brought it back to a boutique stable, so instead of a bigger team, I'm down to four along with a young three-year-old.
"Hopefully, I've stuck with the better horses and got rid of four. Even Yellow Bow, who won the other day (at Melton on April 7), she's gone.
"I'm sure she'll do a good job in New South Wales where she has gone, but the rest have been moved on."
Brewin is placing his faith largely in Whata Rockstar, whose win at Kilmore last week was the five-year-old gelding's third in five starts, Crossroader and The Kew Legend.
He is hoping there can be some added success following the return to the stable of veteran pacer Sir Julian, who has been racing in Queensland since midway through 2018.
Brewin will target some races at harness racing headquarters with the evergreen 10-year-old, who has won 38 races from 244 starts for earnings of $233,482.
"He's been a good horse for us, I won 20 races with him myself before I sent him up there and he won's 17 more," he said.
"He'd won one race (from 25 starts) when we first got him.
"Even though he's won that stake money, he hasn't won a $15,000 race, so he'll race in those Melton races for horses who haven't won those types of races.
"He's been racing against horses, who have 40 or 50 races, so he won't know himself racing in that grade for a while."
Brewin was optimistic of further success with Whata Rockstar, who has accounted for three of this season's wins.
"It was a pretty good run at Melton the other day, sitting outside of them, after a fourth at Kilmore, when his foot wasn't quite right, so we've got that nearly 100 per cent right," he said.
"It was nice to get that win the other night with him.
"It was four or five months of hell last year, but it looks we're getting the team right."
A turnaround in fortunes for the stable has been further reflected in a pleasing few months in the sulky for Jayden Brewin.
The talented youngster has driven 12 winners this season and is just four winners away from out-driving his concession claim on 246 career victories.
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