Gippsland born and bred Michelle Phillips returned home to secure an emotional win in Easter Sunday's $35,000 The Downtowner Warragul Pacing Bowl Cup.
In front of many family and friends, Phillips steered Sebs Choice to a popular all the way in the 2627-metre pacing event.
Sebs Choice, for trainer John Nicholson, was rated a treat in front by Phillips and withstood a challenge up the home straight from runner-up Imnopumpkin to secure victory in a tick over two seconds outside the record set in last year's Cup.
Phillips was born in Warragul and raised in Neerim, and has had a lifelong love of horses, having competed in pony club as a junior.
As a teenager she enrolled as a student at the Gippsland Harness Training Centre and a natural affinity with horses saw her successfully take on race driving a handful of years ago.
Now based closer to the bigger racing opportunities in the Melton region, Phillips travels far and wide for race driving and is one of many talented young drivers racing on a competitive circuit around the state.
She returns home to race when able and Sunday's win, her second for the afternoon following from Incognito's win in a support event, was well and truly embraced by the enthusiastic crowd.
Emotions spilled over for Phillips upon returning to the presentation area post race and the tears flowed after a quick hug with from her mum Faye.
"To get this Warragul Cup win, it's just another notch in the belt, and it shows just how good 'Sebby' is," Phillips said. "It means a lot.
"It definitely is a highlight, and one I'll remember forever because you go out and race in big races and anything can happen, but I was just lucky that today it was in 'Sebby's' favour."
Sebs Choice is more than just a racehorse to Phillips - she shares a special bond with the four-year-old gelding and the pair are best mates.
"I live at the stables and when I have a bad day I go and give 'Sebby' a cuddle and sit in his box for about two hours," she said.
"It's a bit of a sob story, but he's one of a kind."
Sebs Choice has only raced on 22 occasions and has recorded 10 victories to sit alongside seven minor placings.
He's raced by members of the Higgs family, who were trackside for the race win. Teenager Sebastian Higgs picked out Sebs Choice at the sales as a yearling, an astute purchase that has paid dividends, as the horse has now won more than $115,000 for connections.
Phillips will now travel to Mildura for its feature Pacing Cup carnival, which begins on Tuesday night, and is a regular competitor at that venue's race meetings.
Warragul Cup day will be remembered fondly by young local trainer-driver Nathan Rothwell, who landed his initial racetrack success in the last race of the day on Sunday.
Playa Blanca led throughout over the sprint journey of 1790 metres to score a popular win.
Nathan and his twin brother Will prepare two horses from stables at Logan Park.
They moved to Victoria two years ago with their parents so the boys could complete the Gippsland Harness Training Centre course at Warragul.
Playa Blanca had raced without luck for the Rothwell's in recent times, however everything went right on Sunday with an all-the-way victory hopefully the first of many for the family.
Sunday's co-feature, the $20,000 Eddie Evison Memorial Trotters Cup, went to Shelbourne trained horse Beau Garcon, for trainer Kate Hargreaves and driver Nathan Jack.
Hargreaves unsuccessfully lodged a protest with her horse Well Defined in last year's event, and was delighted to claim victory in the Trotters Cup at Logan Park in her second attempt to win the event.
Local trotter Sovereign Minx ran a gallant second in the event for the Hunter family from Trafalgar.
Hargreaves and Jack earlier combined with maiden pacer Tex Goes Bang in the third race, the six-year-old pacers first victory at start 18.
Cranbourne trainers Jayne Davies and Chris Watson (a recent addition to local ranks) also produced winners on Sunday.
Davies and premier driver Chris Alford combined to win race two with Machane Said, it was the first victory for the stable since relocating to the on-track stabling barn at Cranbourne Racecourse.
Chris Watson also trains from the facility since relocating from the Riverina, and their first winner on local soil came with Sports Bounty in race four, with Watson's son Damon driving the nine-year-old veteran of 169 race starts.
Racing began with the Full Steam Ahead Trotters Handicap, which saw a win for visiting horse The Girls Gotflair after a late mistake by filly Kimora Saffy cost that horse a chance at victory.
The Girls Gotflair won a similar race at Warragul in December last year.
Attendance figures at Logan Park were up on last year and a real family atmosphere prevailed in ideal weather conditions.
TAB and bookmaker betting on local events was brisk, and spectators enjoyed the lawn area and the superb clubroom facilities at Logan Park.
The Punters Club produced a handsome dividend of around $60 for every $20 ticket after snaring the local quadrella. The racetrack produced fair and fast racing on an excellent surface.
Further trots action at Warragul takes place on Monday afternoon, May 23.