Trots Centre: Herbertson set for country double-header

James Herbertson is sure to sleep well after what shapes as one extremely busy Sunday of country racing in two parts of the state.

Firstly, the talented young driver will head to Birchip for six races and then zip over to Shepparton where he has two bookings, including one in the North East Fastners Wangaratta Pacing Cup.

If he is able to secure a winner at Birchip, it will make the three-hour drive a much more pleasant one, particularly if he can snare the $4500 Sharp’s Bakery Mallee Bull Pacing Cup with Cee Cee In America for trainer Greg Norman.

“He’s first up for a little while, but by far the best horse in the race on form and ability…,” Herbertson told Trots Talk.

“He’s drawn inside the back row which isn’t going to make it any easier for him, but he’s got the ability, he’s got the speed and he’s a nice little horse who handles half-mile tracks really well.

“He’s got a few things against him, but his ability is definitely there.”

Cee Cee In America will face some stiff opposition from the likes of Carload (Michael Laugher), Dot The Eye (Denis McIntyre) and Travelnpastyou (Christopher Cain), who are also off the back row.

Herbertson won last year’s Wangaratta Pacing Cup aboard Amanda Turnbull-trained Think About Me and will this year team up with Kevin Wheatley’s Are Doubleyou in the $14,500 event.

The horse is a last-start Wagga winner and has come up with gate four in a quality field of 12 runners, which includes Glenn Douglas-trained Major Jodi, Wayne Potter’s Boy From Bondi and Brent Lilley’s I Cast No Shadow.

Earlier in the night, Kate Hargreaves’ beloved gelding Well Defined goes for four-straight features when he lines up in the $14,500 Reflex Glass / J & T Joinery Wangaratta Trotters Cup. Again, he has a 30m handicap to deal with, but will have a 10m headstart on backmarker Monaro Mia, who flashed home for third behind Majestic Man in the Group 1 TAB Australian Trotting Grand Prix last weekend.

The Birchip card, which includes the TMC enviro Mallee Bull Trotters Cup, kicks off with race one at 12.45pm, with the first at Shepparton for the transferred Wangaratta meeting scheduled to go at 5.45pm.

The Birchip Harness Racing Club is asking those keen on attending the Sunday meeting to book by emailing bhrc.bookings@gmail.com.

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