FOR Heathcote's Tayla French, only one thing beats the thrill of having her first Group 2 drive in Friday night's Garrad's Horse and Hound Bendigo Pacing Cup (2650m).
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That is the added excitement of her cup debut being aboard a horse trained by her father Terry French.
The 21-year-old will drive 100-1 chance Form Analyst in the $70,000 feature race, both her and Terry's first crack at a hometown cup.
While outside expectations aren't necessarily high for the six-year-old gelding, French is simply grateful for the opportunity as her still young career continues to take flight.
"It's very exciting to be a part of it; it's a tough and very strong and competitive field, which is awesome for Bendigo," she said.
"To have my first Group 2 drive is very exciting and it's awesome to partner up with dad.
"We claimed this horse from Melton from a very well-known stable, Emma Stewart's, about eight starts ago and not many people had hope he could keep on going the way he is.
"He's only a missed a weigh-in once for us, but never did we think he would be running around in a Group 2 race two months down the track."
As the only Bendigo region trained horse in the race, the Frenches hope Form Analyst can give his usual good, honest account of himself and give locals a little something to cheer about.
No local horse has won the cup since Rick Hasty triumphed with Robric Johnboy in 2004.
The two most recent Bendigo-trained winners before that were Mother Courage for 2015 Gordon Rothacker medallist Bruce Morgan in 2002, and Taronga (Cliff Powell) in 1981.
Rising star The Storm Inside ($2.50) - one of four cup runners for the state's leading trainer Emma Stewart - heads the early betting, ahead of last year's winner San Carlo ($4) for co-trainers Stephen O'Donoghue and Rebecca Bartley.
Third in the line of betting is recent Cranbourne Cup winner Phoenix Prince ($6), with fellow Stewart camp runners Tam Major ($7) and Code Black ($7.50) the only other runners under $10.
Assessing the opposition, French believed it was hard to go past the speed machine The Storm Inside, who has racked up 16 wins from 18 starts during his injury-interrupted career, albeit with concerns about his staying capabilities.
"The Storm Inside is coming off a track record (1710m) at Ballarat last start, but it will be interesting to see how goes over the longer distance," she said.
"It would be no surprise to see him blow them away and stamp himself as one the next big things in Australia.
"Phoenix Prince obviously won the Geelong and Cranbourne cups for her stable recently and he's flying too, Craig Demmler has two runners, and San Carlo has just come back from an Inter Dominion campaign for the O'Donoghue-Bartley camp.
"It's going to be a very different tempo of race to what I'm used to racing in and is going to give us a good insight into our horse, but we will give a crack."
Admitting to a few nerves, French said drawing the pole had help put her at ease.
"It's going to be the smartest and easiest run for (Form Analyst) and he's going to need it that way to finish as close as he can," she said.
"I'm definitely happy with the position we are starting in."
The first of two drives for the night for French will come early in the program, when she partners the Ross Graham-trained Azza in the night's opening race.
Equally chuffed to have his first Bendigo Pacing Cup runner, Terry French said he was proud to share the moment with his daughter.
"She's the reason we have him in the race, to give her some good race experience. She's definitely earned that opportunity," he said.
"He (Form Analyst) is a very honest and he tries his heart out; he'll still be coming up the straight.
"He might be just making up the numbers, but you have to be in it to win it. There's been 100-1 winners get up before - it does happen.
"I haven't had him for long. We claimed him one night at Melton, just to get a better horse in the stable and so Tayla could drive a better class horse and he's been good for us.
"He's had a few seconds and he got a win at Shepparton and a third at Bendigo. We'll see what happens Friday now."
Outside the top five chances, the 30-year trainer nominated the David Aiken-trained Wrappers Delight ($16) and the Michael Stanley-trained Rackmeup Tigerpie ($34) as two horses capable of causing an upset.
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