The Elmore trainer has Gone Too Far lining up in Wednesday’s $4000 feature race and will enter the race with solid claims of victory.

The five-year-old mare is chasing back-to-back race wins following success at Echuca on December 13, but according to his trainer, will need to overcome an awkward draw.

“She is going really well, but we have a bad gate, so that it makes it hard,” he said.

“The track favours the horses up front, so she is going to have to really earn it.”

Gone Too Far is second on the line of betting at $4.50, behind the Ted Caruana-trained Admiral ($3.20), who will be driven by Greg Sugars.

The Glenn Douglas-trained and driven Franco Rebel ($7) shapes as another strong contender, while the Heathcote trainer-driver team of Jim O’Sullivan and daughter Shannon are pinning their hopes on $9 chance Really Under Fire.

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Cotchin had little hesitation in nominating Admiral as the horse to catch.

“Whether or not he’s done a few things before, or whether he can handle this track, but my mare should go well,” he said.

“There’s a couple of the frontline who have the draw to be in with a real chance, but I think Gone Too Far is up to it if she can get a bit of a good break.

“It’s a matter of how the race will be run, but at some point she has to put herself in the race.”

Cotchin, who moved to Elmore from Yarrambat about 14 years ago, will be aiming for his second success in the race.

He previously won the Elmore Pacing Cup in 2009 with the talented mare Lady Octavia, who was driven to victory by Jodi Quinlan.

That race was run at Melton following the closure of the Elmore track in 2005 by the former Bracks Labor Government.

Racing was reinstated at Elmore in 2016, with this year’s cup meeting the third back at the track on Hunter Street.

Cotchin said he was rapt to see racing back in Elmore.

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“We didn’t race here, but we still had our meetings at Melton or Bendigo, but luckily we’ve ended up getting the meeting back here …. and on Boxing Day,” he said.

“We hadn’t raced on Boxing Day for a while before coming back here.

“We normally get a reasonable crowd, the locals seem to be supporting it.”

Cotchin will also have a runner in the Elmore Trotters’ Cup (2180m) with Regal Assassin, who is resuming from a near two-month break from racing and will likely start as favourite.

“If he does everything right he will be right in the mix,” he said.

“He goes nicely, but can be a little bit tricky.

“He trialled well, so I am hoping he can put on a good showing.”

A third Cotchin starter, Nonno Stride, will contest the Elmore Field Days Pace (2180m).

The first of 10 races on cup day is scheduled for 12.42pm, with the pacing cup to be run at 4.49pm and the trotters’ cup at 3.32pm.

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