Trots

This Saturday, January 23, Shepparton Harness Club in Victoria will host the $30 000 Group 2 EB Cochran Trotters Cup.

It is a start studded field for the next feature trotting event, with many big names set to line up including the Michael Marais-trained In Pursuit and Chris Lang’s Sundons Gift.

In Pursuit has drawn barrier seven while last month’s Australian Trotting Grand Prix champion Sundon’s Gift has a bit of work to do from the barrier 11.

Despite the wide draw, the prolific Sundon’s Gift is still sure to start as the favourite, the bay gelding the most experienced and highest earning trotter on the field having won nearly $600 000 in prizemoney. He is coming off a last start second place to Skyvalley in the Group 1 Bill Collins Sprint back in December.

Chris Lang also has Kyvalley Mac entered in the 2690m staying event, starting from barrier nine.

Meanwhile, New Zealand bred Armed Guard has secured the inside running with barrier one and will start beside the highly fancied and ever-consistent Acacia Ridge, trained and driven by Gary Hoban.

Acacia Ridge, runner-up to Don King in the Group 1 VL Dullard Cup earlier in the month, is the only horse on the field coming off a last-start victory.

The big pacing event at the meeting is the $50 000 Group 2 Shepparton Gold Cup (race 7) with other highlights of the night including the $25 000 The Lombo 2YO Fillies Final (race 2) and the $25 000 The Lombo 2YO Colts & Geldings Final (race 8).

The EB Cochran Trotters Cup is scheduled as race five on the night’s cracker nine-race programme, set to start at 8:30pm (VIC time).

2010 Cochran Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw: