"This has been a huge success on the program over the last few years, it's back for another big, big season," introduced Off The Bench host Craig Hutchison as he kicked off Top of the Trots for 2019-20.
The Saturday morning segment on the SEN 1116AM program, which airs throughout regional Victoria, kicked off with Hutchison and co-host Liam Pickering being joined by trainer-driver Michael Stanley, who stepped in for mate and regular Top of the Trots panellist Josh Jenkins.
The trio made their first picks for the season last Saturday ahead of the Pryde's EasiFeed Victoria Cup, with Stanley selecting Luke McCarthy, Pickers' Chris Alford and Hutchy Kima Frenning.
Top of the Trots has each host select a driver to represent them in a forthcoming race meeting. Drivers score three points for each win, two for a second and one for a third, with the host who tallies the most points at season's end earning a $4000 donation to their designated charity. Hutchy plays for Ronald McDonald House, Pickers for Beyond Blue and Josh Jenkins for FightMND.
And after night one it's very level pegging:
| Host | Driver | 1sts | 2nds | 3rds | Total |
| Liam Pickering | Chris Alford | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Josh Jenkins/Mick Stanley | Luke McCarthy | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Craig Hutchison | Kima Frenning | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Tune into Off The Bench on Saturday mornings to catch Top of the Trots, or catch-up via our podcast channel.
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