A quality field of square-gaiters is headed by Majestuoso - a close-up third in last weekend's $100,000 Group 1 Australasian Trotters Championship at Bendigo - and Pink Galahs, who has returned from a successful Queensland campaign, highlighted by a Group 1 win in the $52,000 Darrell Alexander Trotting Championship.

The gun pair will start from the back row, where they will be joined by Bendigo region hopes Well Defined and Sundons Courage.

The Kate Hargreaves-trained Well Defined will be having his second start back from a spell after finishing well back in the field behind Maori Law in last week's Australasian Trotters Championship.

The five-time 2021 country cups winner's chances all but disappeared when he broke at the start and was quickly tailed off, but on his best, the Majestic Son/Focus On Me gelding should be right in the finish.

The Brad Angove-trained Sundons Courage has struggled to recapture his best form this campaign, but can never be discounted as a winning hope.

The eight-year-old, to be driven by Bendigo's Jayden Brewin, was placed at Group 1-level as recently as February and is overdue for a change in fortune.

Bendigo will have further representation in the form of Nephew Of Sonoko, who is making the step back up to Group-level for Sutton Grange trainer Leigh Graham.

The five-year-old and Group 2-winner at Tabcorp Park Melton in May this year finished fifth last week behind another horse with Bendigo connections and solid Cup claims, Brandlo Prince.

Brandlo Prince returned to top form with an emphatic front-running win at Bendigo last Saturday and will again be driven by in-form Heathcote reinswoman Tayla French.

His former Bendigo-based trainer Chris Svanosio will be hoping for a repeat of those tactics with the five-year-old, who has been placed twice in Group 1s.

"It would be ideal if he could find the front, but there's a fair bit of gate speed outside him and he does lack a bit of speed," Svanosio told Trots Talk on Wednesday.

"Horses like Aldebaran Crescent and Majestic Courtney can really burn the gate, but if he could somehow work his way to the front at some stage I'm sure he could run a terrific race.

"If not it will be a bit harder, but he's a bit tougher and in good form, so we are hoping he can run a good race wherever he ends up.

"He's raced Majestuoso a few times before and he's always been a bit behind those horses. He ran fifth a few weeks ago to him, (and) he's been placed behind him.

"I'd say that's about where he's been, a few lengths off the best ones, but we're hoping he's in good form, he can keep improving and hopefully step up a bit more Friday night and get a bit closer to him.

"Obviously it's a tough grade - Majestuoso, Pink Galahs and half a dozen in that race have been running in Group 1 races for a long time.

"They are pretty hard to beat, you've really got to be at the top of your game so we are hoping that he can prove that he's up to them."

The Shepparton Cup will be run at 9pm on Friday.

READ MORE:

French follows up double with more metro success | Video

Nephew Of Sonoko does Graham proud with Group 2 win | Video

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