The delight will be shared among a family well used to success should the fancied favourite salute in Sunday's Gunbower Family Hotel Pacing Cup on Sunday.
Brilliant mare Delight Me looms large over the field and the eight-race card at the bordertown community, which thrills at getting to the big creek-side track for their annual cup day.
Since December last year the six-year-old mare has been owned by Warren Stewart and his three-year-old granddaughter, Willow, and continues to be trained by his daughter Emma Stewart, the reigning four-time Victorian state and metropolitan trainer of the year.
Delight Me will start from gate four on Sunday in her second outing for her new owners, looking to make it two from two after a commanding first-up win in last Saturday’s Allied Express Cinderella Stakes at Tabcorp Park Melton – her first start after a 15-month layoff.
The horse, known as 'Popcorn' around the stables, holds a special place in Warren Stewart’s heart, with the pair having a bond that goes back to the sale yards.
Warren, who bought the mare from John Clements in December after a lightly-raced but brilliant career that included 12 wins from 18 outings, said he picked the horse out for “Johnny” at the sales and jogged her for a while at home when she was broken in.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for her, we all have,” he said.
He expected Delight Me, who’s likely to start well into the red in the Gunbower Cup, to give a “real good show” in Sunday’s $14,000 Cup despite the longer distance.
“If she gets a nice run they’ll know she is in there, don’t worry about that,” he said. “If she happens to hit the front, look out.”
He said while it was up to Emma and Clayton Tonkin to ultimately decide what lay ahead, he expected them to target country cups and “any good mares' races”.
Delight Me will be joined by a field that includes the Michael Stanley trained Rackemup Tigerpie and Macey Jayde for the sixth leg of the Trots Country Cups Championship.
Victory in the Gunbower Cup will catapult the winner into equal second on the championship series table behind San Carlo and Im the Boss (10 points), and level with Swan Hill Cup winner Menin Gate and St Arnaud Cup winner Motu Meteor on five points.
CLICK HERE FOR THE TROTS COUNTRY CUPS CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
In the Cohuna Car Sales Bill Poxon Memorial Gunbower Trotters Cup, Maori’s Idol Trotting Championship series co-leader King Denny (seven points) will look to strengthen his hold on the championship against a field that includes Fratellino and Daquiri.
CLICK HERE FOR THE MAORIS IDOL TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Gates at the Gunbower Racecourse Reserve open at 11.45am with free admission. Trackside activities include a water slide, a gumboot throw, monster crocodile and pony trots. Free shuttle buses will run from Echuca and Barham throughout the day.
For more details on the Gunbower Cup click here.
CLICK BELOW TO HEAR TROTS TALK, FEATURING GUNBOWER SECRETARY PETER O'SHEA