Trained by her father, 2017 Gordon Rothacker medallist Jim O'Sullivan, Fourstarzzzspecial assumed control of the race from the outset and was never headed, despite a desperate late challenge from the Laura Crossland-trained and driven favourite Celerina, with Dunrobbin 10 metres away in third.

The official race margin was a short half head.

It was a case of third-time lucky for Shannon O'Sullivan, who landed her first country cup win.

The 20-year-old has driven at each of the past three Boxing Day meetings at Elmore, but had not won a race until Thursday.

"It's a race dad and I have been aiming to win and we were just lucky enough to have a horse, who was eligible for it," she said.

"Everything really went to plan other than the false start. He just had his way and kept tacking away.

"He is a bit of a puller, so I was worried the false start might have stirred him up a bit. He was a bit hard to handle behind the mobile, but it didn't affect him too much, whereas some horses it can.

"He's a real front-runner and loves it at his own pace. His last start he went 54 at Shepparton, but a better horse beat him, who sat behind him, after he made all the pace.

"We know he can go the times. Today was drop in class for him and these are the types of races he needs to be in at the moment."

A thrilling up win ended a run of 25 starts since his last victory in September 2018 for the nine-year-old gelding.

O'Sullivan, who has notched 30 winners in little over two years to start her career, could not hide her delight at winning her first country cup.

"It's definitely one of my most favourite wins. I've been coming here for three years and haven't had much luck - I think last year I might have got a second, but that's about it," she said.

"It's great getting things go our own way and to win a country cup at a place where I really like coming to the races.

"It was really good to see Tayla French get a win here as well, she's from Heathcote too and sometimes we are travel buddies."

French teamed with her father Terry to score a win with Nelbell, who made it back-to-back victories following her success at Bendigo a fortnight ago.

Cup-winning trainer Jim O'Sullivan said he was always confident of victory with Fourstarzzzspecial, as long as the race was run to suit.

"He's a good frontrunner and we thought he'd always be a chance from that barrier draw," he said.

"That's been his biggest problem in most of his races - even though he has lead a few of his recent races, in most of them he hasn't been able to get to the front.

"He's about a four or five second better horse in front, and when he is able to lead in this class of race, he's very hard to run down."

O'Sullivan said a first country cup win for daughter Shannon had brought back memories of his own first cup win as a 19-year-old at Redcliffe.

"I won that with a horse called My Suzanne, which was a long time ago," he said.

"Shannon's driving extremely well. (Fourstarzzzspecial) is not an easy horse to drive, he can give her a bit of a hard time.

"But she does a great job with him and she's not frightened to drive him ... she's very game."

"I won that with a horse called My Suzanne, which was a long time ago," he said.

"Shannon's driving extremely well. (Fourstarzzzspecial) is not an easy horse to drive, he can give her a bit of a hard time.

"She does a great job. She's not frightened to drive him ... she's very game."

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