AFTER three country cup wins in the last 12-months with Wentwood, Warrnambool trainer Maddie Raymond is eyeing off another at Bendigo on Wednesday.
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The astute young trainer will saddle up the seven-year-old gelding and current fourth favourite (at $7.50) in the $400,000 Group 3 Bendigo Cup (2400m).
A win would be another amazing feather in the cap of Raymond, who has held her trainer's licence for just over 18 months.
Her rise in the ranks has been as stunning as that of her trusty stayer.
This time last year, Raymond was savouring success in the $25,000 St Arnaud Cup (2000m), the imported gelding's first win in seven starts on Australian soil.
Fast forward 12-months and the Pour Moi/Desert Liaison gelding has three country cup wins to his name after adding the $125,000 Werribee Cup (2000m) in December before winning the $70,000 Terang Cup (2150m) in April.
Along the way he has collected a second in the $70,000 Ararat Cup, a win in a $135,000 race at Flemington in December last year and to top it off, a last-start second in the $200,000 Group 3 Coongy Handicap at Caulfield.
Heading into the Bendigo Cup third-up on the back of two solid outings in town, Raymond is bristling with confidence.
"He's definitely taught us a lot. He's got his little quirks, but he's finally got his feet on the ground now and we've got a really good understanding of him and the best way to bring out his ability," she said.
"He's certainly had a good prep already and I can see him going on with it.
"He really was just fantastic for us last year in those cups.
"It was a huge sigh of relief when he won his first race because when he arrived over here we thought he would be a nice enough horse, but he had a few issues and setbacks.
"It was 12-months on Sunday that he won his first race in the St Arnaud Cup, so he's come a bloody long way.
"I wouldn't have thought 12 months ago that we would be getting beaten by a nose in a Group 3 like we were last start, but here we are."
His three cup wins earned Wentwood the mantle as Country Racing Victoria's horse of the year for 2020-21.
A fellow finalist for the award, the Bendigo-trained Vungers, who won a pair of cups late last year at Donald and Wodonga for Brendon Hearps, will also be in action on Wednesday in the heat of the Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Series.
Raymond said the award was a huge thrill, coming in her first season as a trainer in her own name.
"He is the stable favourite and he has some really good owners, so it was very exciting for us all," she said.
"We've definitely had a bit of fun with him and I think there's plenty more to come.
"We think Bendigo is winnable and the nice, big open track with his Flemington form really suits him."
Raymond said the plan beyond Wednesday was to go on and target the $500,000 Ballarat Cup (2000m) on November 20.
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