JUST what the future holds for jumps racing in Victoria depends on what you read and who you listen to.

There are varying reports on the latest trials as D-Day looms for the recommencement of jumps racing. We provide both stories courtesy of the Melbourne Herald Sun and Age.

MATT Stewart, in the Melbourne Herald Sun reports that the latest, and surely last, hurdle and steeplechase obstacles passed their first test at Stony Creek today.

Two horses fell - neither was injured - and three others stumbled over the new jumps, but the eight-trial session was completed without major incident.

The question is whether horses being aimed at Warrnambool in the first week of May will have enough time to practise adequately over the obstacles before the famous carnival.

More trials will be held at Warrnambool on Tuesday, followed by the obstacles' race debut at the two-day Hamilton carnival on April 17-18.

Two more trial sessions will be held between Hamilton and the Warrnambool carnival.

A handful of established jumping stars, including Some Are Bent, Black And Bent, Mazzacano and Desert Master, tried out over the new obstacles, which feature thicker steeplechase brush than their predecessors.

Some Are Bent, the jumper of the year for the 2007-08 season, made a mess of the second jump out of the straight on the second lap of his 2800m steeplechase trial. He was pulled up by jockey Brad McLean.

Like a number of those who trialled yesterday, Some Are Bent will trial again at Warrnambool on Tuesday.

His brother Black And Bent trialled well and will head to Warrnambool for the Galleywood Hurdle.

Some Are Bent, who won the 2007 Galleywood, will step up to the bigger obstacles for a crack at the Brierly and Grand Annual Steeplechases in May.

Trainers, jockeys and stewards praised the new obstacles, which feature thick brush imported from France and cost $600,000 to assemble; a cost skimmed from this season's prizemoney as a compromised arrangement to give jumps racing one last chance.

A common theme among those who gave the thumbs-up was the "collapsibility" of the obstacles.

At least two horses stumbled yesterday, but picked themselves up and continued on because the jumps collapsed forward.

"They'd have gone down with the previous jumps," leading trainer Robbie Laing said.

Top jockey Brett Scott described the new steeplechase fences as imposing but "not too scary".

"They are definitely different," Scott said. "They (horses) respect them, that's for sure."

Top trainer Brian Johnston, whose hurdler Zonya fell in the second trial -- Zealous was then brought down -- insisted the new obstacles had not contribute to Zonya's fall.

"The jumps are great, fantastic, no problems at all," Johnston said.

Mighty steeplechaser Mazzacano loped along in his four-horse steeplechase trial, finishing a long last.

"Like he always does," trainer Laing quipped.

Mazzacano pulled a back muscle in his Grand National Steeplechase showdown with Pentiffic at Sandown in August.

He will be saved for the Australian Steeplechase (Sandown, June 19) and Grand National Steeplechase (Sandown, August 15) this winter.

IN contrast, MICHAEL SHARKIE in the Melbourne Age, reports: ‘IT took only a slight error of judgment to send horse Zonya and jockey Trent Wells into the turf at Stony Creek yesterday, but the tumble was enough for the noose to tighten further around the neck of jumps racing.

With critics ready to protest after any mishap, yesterday's stumble was the sort of shaky start that jumps racing had hoped to avoid, with the start of the delayed 2010 season little more than a week away.

The jumps season was put on hold while officials awaited the arrival from France of the plastic brush for the new-design obstacles. Yesterday was the first time the horses had seen the new steeplechase fences and hurdles - just nine days before the first scheduled jumps meeting of the season at Hamilton.

With jumps racing under immense pressure following a disastrous 2009 season when an unprecedented horse fatality rate brought the sport to a halt in May, supporters would have welcomed a faultless start to 2010 at yesterday's trials.

But critics will be keen to claim first blood after New Zealand-bred jumpers Zonya and Zealous fell during the second hurdle trial. ''He jumped it [the hurdle] fine, really well in fact,'' fallen rider Trent Wells said. ''He just landed awkwardly and knuckled.''

Zealous, ridden by leading jumps rider Steven Pateman, could not avoid the fallen horse and also fell, but both horses and jockeys were uninjured.

The Jumps Review Panel was to watch replays of the trials last night before announcing which of the 37 trial horses would be granted a ticket to jump.

Leading jumps trainer Robbie Laing was satisfied at the end of the eight steeplechase and hurdle trials that horses were adapting quickly to the new obstacles.

''We haven't got a lot of time but that's the situation,'' he said. ''The horses seem to jump the new obstacles well and they will only get better with practice.''

But with a list of factors - including restrictions on the number of falls during the season - likely to shape Racing Victoria's final decision on the future of jumps racing, Laing and his peers will be sweating on every one of the 63 jumps races programmed from April 17 until late August.

Racing Minister Rob Hulls said decisions on the future of jumps racing were up to Racing Victoria.