Travel Bug thrust himself into contention for the Maori’s Idol Trotting Championship with a second-successive country cup success on Sunday.
The Shaun and Jason McNaulty-trained squaregaiter added the Cohuna Car Sales Bill Poxon Memorial Gunbower Trotters Cup (2530m) to his trophy cabinet with another bold front-running display at Echuca.
He overcame a 10m handicap to take out the St Arnaud Trotters Cup on November 20, and beat the 20m mark to prevail on the weekend.
After allowing the horse to find his feet, regular driver James Herbertson sent the son of Dream Vacation forward and was able to work to the lead in the early stages of the second lap. The pressure continued when Blue Coman rolled up to his outside at the bell, but the six-year-old was up for the challenge and staved off his rivals throughout to win by just over two metres on the line. Tennerson, for Phil Chircop and Daryl Douglas, was second with Brad Stevens-trained Everybodylovesme grabbing third with Alex Ashwood in the sulky.
Travel Bug’s recent victories have lifted him to second place on the Maori’s Idol Trotting Championship leaderboard, just two points behind Andy Gath-trained Havehorsewilltravel.
The series carries a $25,000 bonus for the winner, with $15,000 given to the owners and $10,000 to the trainer. Five points are awarded for a country cup win, with three for second and two for third. All other starters receive one point.
Travel Bug will line up in this Sunday’s Stawell Trotters Cup, with the last leg of the 2022 championship being the Bruce Skeggs Memorial Cranbourne Trotters Cup on December 17.
Later on Sunday, Julie Douglas-trained Rick Reilly claimed a second-straight Gunbower Family Hotel Gunbower Pacing Cup.
Sent out as a $1.85 favourite, the five-year-old raced outside the leader for much of the journey and proved too tough for his rivals in the $14,500 feature.
It was also a second successive cup for driver Jack Laugher, who partnered the horse in last year’s race when it was held at Gunbower.
The Sportswriter gelding defeated stablemate Kosimo, with Greg Norman-trained Stag Party boxing on for third after leading early.
Rick Reilly has now won 12 of 85 career starts for more than $160,000 in prizemoney.
He is seventh on the Trots Country Cups Championship standings, 10 points behind overall leader Demon Delight.
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