Edwards Cant Top This prized Country Cup Championship win

His racing days might be long behind him but the accolades are still many for Cant Top This, who along with trotter One Over All can officially savour a peerless 2023 country cups season.

Despite not racing since a third in April’s Mildura Pacing Cup, Cant Top This finished atop the Trots Country Cups Championship with 17 points, having won both the Ararat and Charlton cups to outpoint Serg Blanco (15) and Curly James (12).

Owner Bruce Edward said the seven-year-old Emma Stewart trained gelding was now “out in the paddock” and with his racing years behind him, making it all the more satisfying to hold on and clinch the championship.

The journey for the son of Rock N Roll Heaven to get to the track was one full of ups and downs.

“He was a late bloomer, which is typical of his family,” Edward said. “He was a pretty average two and three-year-old. He hurt himself and came back and really blossomed.”

The achievement isn’t lost on Edward, adding to his incredible harness racing resume that includes winning the Victoria Cup (Act Now) and Oaks (Sweet Bella) in October.

“It’s nice (to win the Championship) and since we are country based, winning country races are very important and we are very happy,” he said.

The Trots Country Cups Championship carries a $35,000 bonus for the winner, with $20,000 given to the winning owner and $15,000 to the winning trainer.

New Zealand owned One Over All was a runaway 14-point winner in the Maori’s Idol Trotting Championship for Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars.

The gelding had five country cup wins, which included wins at Stawell, Maryborough and Charlton. The Championship carries a $25,000 bonus for the winner, with $15,000 given to the winning owner and $10,000 to the winning trainer.

The country cups season started anew last night with Double Helix winning the Arch Electrical Echuca Trotters Cup for trainer Philip Giles and driver Jackie Barker.

In the Pacing Cup it was all about the Julie Douglas-trained Our Vincent Can Gogh taking out the Moama Bowling Club Echuca Pacing Cup with Jack Laugher in the sulky.