Perth Cups winning jockey Jason Whiting declared himself ready for a racing comeback after ending his six-month injury-enforced break to ride at Belmont barrier trials on Monday.

Whiting fractured his left shoulder when dislodged from Acting God in a race fall at Ascot’s Christmas Eve meeting and needed two operations.

But the hoop showed his trademark polished style on Monday, finishing close behind placegetters on Zero Demerits in a 1000m heat.

Whiting is expected to quickly hit form which has seen him boot home Perth Cup winners Guyno, Respect and King Canute, in addition to scoring a Railway Stakes victory aboard Hardrada.

“I’ve come through well,” Whiting said when unsaddling Zero Demerits. “There’s no discomfort in the shoulder which was broken.

“I have a doctor’s appointment next week to get an official fitness clearance and it’s planned I’ll be race riding within a fortnight.

“Soon after original surgery on the injury, I hoped to resume riding before the winter season. But my fracture was on a joint and complications developed.

“Specialists decided a second operation was needed and I faced extra rehabilitation. But that’s behind me now and I’m keen to get back among the winners. The fall was an occupational hazard.”

Zero Demerits’ trial was impressively won by the Dan Morton-trained gelding Saloon Bar, who looks a carnival prospect.

Esprit Garcon, who rocketed wide to win a 1000m heat for jockey Jarrad Noske, looked the best of Monday’s unraced three-year-old runners. The Tiarnna Robertson-trained gelding is by Bel Esprit, who also sired champion Black Caviar.

“Esprit Garcon should be ready to race in a couple of weeks,” Robertson said. “His debut date will depend on how he pulls up from the trial.”

Trainer Michael Grantham’s quality sprinter Comes A Time, ridden by Chris Parnham, ran an eye-catching second behind pacemaker Great Again in a 1000m heat.

“Comes A Time will race first-up in the Beaufine Stakes on July 8,” part-owner Craig Fox said. “We’ll restrict him to city racing.”

Unraced two-year-old Brave Spirit was another trial runner-up who drew attention. Trainer Steve Wolfe said he was happy with progress by the Brave Smash colt, who finished fast behind Razmas over 1000m.

+ Stewards have disqualified WA galloper Star Present from five races after a long-running inquiry into reasons why her swab tested positive to testosterone and boldenone when she won at Ascot on April 9, 2022.

The mare has been disqualified from her Ascot win and a Pinjarra victory win, four weeks later. Star Present was also disqualified from an Ascot third, a Belmont sixth and a Kalgoorlie second last year.

Her trainer Brock Lewthwaite received a 10-month disqualification last May for having presented Star Present to race with prohibited substances in her system.

+ Two-year-old pacer Chilli Punter, a race debut winner for trainer Jemma Hayman at Pinjarra on Monday, is lucky to be alive.

“Chilli Punter was trapped in a Victorian stable fire when being educated,” Hayman’s partner Ross Olivieri said. “The filly suffered severe smoke inhalation and minor burns. It’s a miracle she survived.”