A plan to target the Aurie's Star Handicap with a fit horse paid off for trainer Darren Weir when Broken denied Temple Of Boom a second victory in the Group Three sprint.

Broken ($10) was on a seven-day back up in Saturday's 1200m race and finished strongly to defeat 2011 Aurie's Star winner Temple Of Boom ($5.50) by a long neck with a short head to Cavallo Nero ($21) third.

Broken hadn't won for almost 12 months but Weir wasn't surprised the gelding was able to upstage some proven performers to snare the first Group win of his career.

"I reckon the horse has been racing terrific without luck," Weir said.

"He dropped to 54 kilos, and although his recent record would suggest he wouldn't run the 1200 metres out, I reckon in his last two runs he's actually been looking for it.

"The ground was perfect and he got a perfect ride."

Broken's win in the early season feature capped a good day for Weir who had earlier prepared Clang And Bang to win the Trevor Dray & Joyann Erskine Handicap (1720m).

And earlier in the morning at Ballarat, Weir's Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune geared up for his spring return with a jump-out.

Glen Boss was glowing in his assessment of the import ahead of the carnival.

"Everything seems to be good (with Puissance De Lune) and I hope he (Boss) is right," Weir said.

Temple Of Boom's trainer Tony Gollan believes race fitness was the telling factor in the end but was still pleased with his sprinter's effort.

The seven-year-old will stay in Melbourne for the spring with Gollan to look for the right races on wet tracks.

"He was there to win but I think the race fitness of the winner kicked in," Gollan said.

Dual Group One winner Luckygray finished sixth to Broken while Australian Guineas winner Ferlax was seventh in their respective spring returns.

While the Aurie's Star was the main race of the day there was some star power on show earlier in the meeting when five spring carnival hopefuls from owner Lloyd Williams' team, including Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon, went around in exhibition gallops.