By TONY CLIFFORD

FORMER juvenile star Our First Jewel maintained his recent resurgence and breathed new life into the SKY Channel Australasian Trotters Championship series when he scored a brave win in the first heat at Moonee Valley tonight (Saturday).

In recent years New Zealand-trained horses have dominated the ATC, and a small, but select group, including exceptional mare Martina H and ultra-consistent Frugal Echo, was expected to continue the trend during the SKY Channel Nights Of Glory carnival in Melbourne.

After a sensational campaign for trainer-driver Paul ?Skip? Ashwood at two, at the end of which he was voted Australia?s Two-year-old Trotter Of The Year, and excellent efforts at three, Our First Jewel was off the scene for the whole of his four-year-old season in 2001/02.

Now five, Our First Jewel (pictured returning to the winner?s circle) has matured and shown steady improvement this term, to the stage where he can now lay claim to being - arguably - the best trotter in Victoria.

After working hard out wide during the early stages to get handy, Our First Jewel and Ashwood was pushed back to midfield, and looked under pressure approaching the home turn, when Kimbo (Russell Thomson) and Mister Roberts (Chris Lang) surged clear of the field.

Our First Jewel, however, responded gamely to Ashwood?s urgings and stormed home wide out to win by two metres from Kimbo, with three and a half metres back to Mister Roberts.

Pacing-bred Our First Jewel - a son of top sire Safely Kept - is now assured of a spot near the top of the betting charts for next Saturday night?s $100,000 SKY Channel Australasian Trotters? Championship Final.

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ACE reinsman Chris Alford?s superb exhibition paved the way to an upset win for the talented, but erratic All Action Sun in the second heat, at odds of 46 to one.

After drawing the outside barrier on the front mark, All Action Sun was fractious before the start, but Alford got him away safely and sent him forward wide in search of a handy position.

The hot favourite Martina H, meanwhile, broke soon after the start and lost a huge stretch of ground, as did another of the well-supported runners Adellas Dash.

All Action Sun strode to the lead with about 2600 metres to run and set up a solid tempo thereafter.

Martina H and driver Derek Balle made a mid-race move to race outside All Action Sun, but turning for home appeared to be labouring.

All Action Sun defied all challengers to win by a metre and a half from Rising Interest, who fought on strongly along the sprint lane, with West Texas Crude a neck back, third.

Martina H fought gamely for fourth, close-up, without really looking a winning chance.

All Action Sun, who is trained at Clyde by Jayne Davies, reeled off final quarters from the mile in 29.3, 32.8, 30.3 and 30.8.

?He did a super job,? Alford said. ?He did a bit of work to get to the lead and fought them all off very well.

?When I saw Martina H outside me during the race I didn?t think we?d have much chance of holding her out at the finish, but he just kept finding.?

Like Martina H a five-year-old by top New Zealand stallion Sundon, All Action Sun is from the North American-bred mare All Action Gal, and is a brother of the former top trotting mare Sunny Action.