JARROD Robinson is hoping history can repeat itself in this year's $30,000 Mount Wycheproof Cup (1800m) on Saturday.
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The Bendigo trainer has only once before saddled up a runner at Wycheproof.
That was in 2019 when Only A Mother, ridden by Juana Andreou took out the feature race.
He is hoping the same formula can pay dividends in this year's cup race with Equine Philosopher.
The six-year-old gelding will be heading into the race fresh from a 16-week spell.
Only A Mother, who was the very first winner for Robinson following his move to Bendigo in 2019, lined up in the race fresh from a 23-week spell.
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Equine Philosopher will face plenty of tough opposition, most notably from the top weight Kiss The Bride, trained at Wangaratta by Andrew Dale, but also the Andrew Bobbin-trained El Gladiador and multiple country cups winner Bannerton, who warmed up with a third on his home track at Swan Hill earlier this week.
"The top weight looks really hard to beat. It's been racing in town in Sydney, so it's either not going any good, or it will just win," he said.
"But (Equine Philosopher) is going okay. Barrier one is a bit sticky for him, but we just need to make sure he gets out and gets to the front.
"But he won his recent trial (at Tatura) and he's a last start winner."
A six-time winner in 35 career starts, Equine Philosopher notched up three of those races in his last preparation.
Combined with four placings, it helped earn the tough son of Unencumbered and Umatain the stayer's prize at the 2022-33 Bendigo Horse of the Year Awards, narrowly ahead of Wertheimer, who ran in this week's Group 3 Bendigo Cup.
Robinson has no qualms running his frontrunning stayer first-up over the Wycheproof Cup distance of 1800m.
"He ran second last prep over 1600m and he ran third for me in his first prep over 1800m," he said.
"He trialled over 1500m the other day, so he's ready to go and fit enough.
"He won his trial easy enough."
He (Equine Philosopher) is going okay. Barrier one is a bit sticky for him, but we just need to make sure he gets out and gets to the front
- Bendigo trainer Jarrod Robinson
Equine Philosopher will have another plus working in his favour, with apprentice Rose Hammond taking the ride.
The 21-year-old has ridden him five times for three wins, which accounts for all three wins last preparation.
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She was again back in the saddle for his trial win on October 17.
A Wycheproof Cup win would be a solid reward for both Robinson and Equine Philosopher and probably overdue after coming close a few times before in cups races.
Equine Philosopher finished second in the 2021 Murtoa Cup (2050m) and second three weeks later in the St Arnaud Cup (2000m).
He added a brave fourth in the Kyneton Cup (2012m) nine days after St Arnaud.
"I was hoping Wycheproof might be the (cup) breakthrough, but it's come up stronger than I thought," he said.
"Hopefully, we'll go okay and from there we'll go to the Penshurst Cup (November 25) and maybe a couple of others.
"Hopefully, we can knock a cup off."
Robinson has one other runner on the program, with the five-year-old Mangwanani a solid chance to break his maiden in his third run for the stable.
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