The first of 27 Trots Country Cups Championship pacing races is an event steeped in tradition and prestige, which holds a special place in the hearts of harness participants. 

Thursday night the stage is set for a mammoth Trots Country season-opener at Kilmore, with a full field of top-liners contesting the $80,000 Group 2 over 2690 metres.

Reigning Kilmore Cup-winning driver Kima Frenning stands a strong chance at back-to-back successes in the race with exciting seven-year-old Buster Brady a major player following his last-start win in the VHRC Classic at Melton.

Blake Redden, speaking on the Metrospective Podcast, believed Buster Brady the horse to beat in the race.

“Buster Brady would start favourite … in fact the more I look at this, the more Buster will win,” Redden said as soon as fields were drawn.

Listen to the latest edition of the Metrospective Podcast

Speaking about the Kilmore Cup last week, 2017 Cup-winning driver Greg Sugars said winning it meant the world. 

“It’s certainly a race that I’ve always targeted. I think it was my second birthday I was here, not that I remember much of it, I saw my dad win the Kilmore Cup on a horse called Popular Port. That was a very special win in his career. It’s always been an aim for me to compete in it and I really wanted to hold the trophy up myself one day. To get that done on a horse like Soho Tribeca and the way he did it, it was a huge thrill for me,” 2017 Kilmore Cup champion reinsman Greg Sugars said.

Monique Burnett, who grew up in Kilmore, also said it was a race she’d always wanted to win and spoke of her exhilaration at just driving in the race last year.

“It would be one of the biggest races I’d like to win. It’s our hometown, growing up coming here, getting dressed up. I actually got to have a drive in it last year, even just getting a drive in it I was so excited, so you can only imagine what it would be like if I happened to win one,” she said.

Meanwhile, the new Metrospective Medal was today launched on the podcast with hosts Redden, Cody Winnell and Michael Howard voting Brownlow style for the drivers they think had the best nights at Melton at the weekend.

 

Photo: Raptors Flight is the horse who just keeps on winning. Just how far will he go? Check out the Metrospective Podcast as Blake, Cody and Mick re-live the weekend Melton action.  Pic by Stuart McCormick.