KILMORE has proven a happy hunting ground for Maryborough trainer Ray Cross in recent years.
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So it came as no surprise to see the veteran horseman notching up a welcome double at Thursday night's meeting.
Cross achieved the feat with his in-form trotters Ima Calvert Rose and Whos Countin, continuing his promising start to the new harness racing season.
It was his first double since Boxing Day in 2019 when Ima Calvert Rose and Honey Please both saluted at Ballarat.
Cross admitted he had headed to Kilmore reasonably confident of success following a string of sound performances from both horses.
"They've both been racing well ... and (Ima Calvert) Rose went out favourite at Boort last week, but she got knocked out of the race, which wasn't her fault," he said of the six-year-old mare, who has won four of 99 races for Cross, complemented by 17 placings.
"Whos Countin has been good to me, he doesn't run too many bad ones.
"His trouble is he is a real boy - he stands up on his back legs and when you go to catch him he carries on.
"But when he gets out into the stride of things he gives it a crack.
"My horses seem to like the Kilmore track, especially Ima Calvert Rose. She's never run a bad race there."
Whos Countin improved his record to five wins and 12 placings from 51 starts, for nearly $43,000 in prize money.
The four-year-old stallion put the writing on the wall with a second behind the Keith Douglas-trained Hanging On A Dream in the Group 3 Central Victorian Trotting Championship at Boort on January 3.
Hanging On A Dream punctuated that form reference with a subsequent victory at Charlton on Monday.
Cross, who boasts an impressive two wins, a second and a fifth from just four starters in 2020, expressed delight with how his small team of horses was performing.
The former Queenslander, who made the permanent shift to central Victoria with his wife Janelle in 2019, expects both Kilmore winners to back-up in seven days' time.
"I've nominated them for Bendigo again next week on Thursday night,' he said.
"I don't get carried away, but they are both in good form and they're racing well.
"I'm guessing it won't be long down the track before they head off for a spell.
"Little Countess Chiron, I just put her out for a spell.
"She did a good job as a three-year-old, she won four races in her three-year-old year, but unfortunately she got knocked out in the qualifying heats of the Breeders (crown). She did run third in the Silver - she's a nice filly."
Michael Bellman's unavailability due to family commitments proved a blessing for Greg Sugars, who picked up the winning drives on Ima Calvert Rose and Whos Countin, giving him his eighth and ninth wins of the new season.
Meanwhile, another Bendigo region trainer to start the new year in fine style, Longlea's John McDermott collected his second win of the season with a victory to Whata Roller.
The four-year-old gelding was nicely driven to victory by Scott Rains.
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