Our Luciano primed for step up in Bendigo Pacing Cup

ELMORE trainer Keith Cotchin is the first to admit Our Luciano will need luck on his side in this Saturday night’s $75,000 Group 2 Garrard’s Horse and Hound Bendigo Pacing Cup (1609m), but he is viewing the tilt against some of Australia’s best pacers as a stepping stone to more exciting things down the track.

The five-year-old Sweet Lou gelding will need to overcome a tricky gate five draw and the nation’s latest pacing sensation Kingman if he is to land an upset win in the Bendigo Harness Racing Club’s premier pacing race.

Cotchin, who has trained in the region for the past 17 years, said while the odds were against them, he expected Our Luciano, a winner of four of 18 career starts and a definite horse on the up, to give a strong account of himself.

“I’m sure he’ll run a nice race and I’m sure he is a horse of the future, who will be up there for years to come, mixing it with the better ones,” Cotchin said.

“I don’t think he’s far behind the best of them.

“The horse is going very well. We’ve got a lot of hopes for him.

“The barrier draw hasn’t been kind to us, but we are in there and if you aren’t in them, you can’t win them.”

With this year’s cup being run over the mile distance, down from previous editions at 2650m, Cotchin said Our Luciano would at the very least appreciate the hot tempo.

“It’s going to be hard from where he is in the draw and with those quality horses around him, but he won’t disgrace himself,” he said.

“He’s definitely on the up and will only keep improving.

“He’s one of those horses that, against that class of horse, had he drawn closer and been tucked in behind them, he’d be right there.

“We can only hope they do a bit too much and he’s getting home strongly and I’ll back him to do that.

“He seems to be in a very good place at the moment.”

Standing in the way is reigning Victoria and New Zealand Cups winner Kingman, who gun New South Wales trainer-driver Luke McCarthy is aiming towards a possible $1 million bonus with a win at Bendigo.

The bonus is on offer to any horse that can win four cups across Harness Racing Victoria’s Summer of Glory.

The four wins must include the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 14.

A crack field of nine on Saturday night includes two previous Bendigo Pacing Cup winners, Bulletproof Boy (2025) and Code Bailey (2020), and the Emma Stewart-trained Petracca, who is chasing his fourth win from five starts following a year-long injury lay-off, and has drawn the pole.

Our Luciano will be dual Group 1 winner Cotchin’s first Bendigo Pacing Cup runner since 2013, when his former star Tanabi Bromac finished eighth towards the end of his career behind Sushi Sushi.

He will be driven by local Tayla French, with the 28-year-old Group 1 winner chasing her first hometown cup victory.

“She gets along really well with him and it’s what we are all in it (racing) for, to get horses are good enough to get into these type of races, and from there you hope to get one good enough to be competitive in these races,” Cotchin said.

“I’m sure he’ll be one of those horses. There’s definitely a lot to look forward to with him over the next few years.

“No doubt the locals would love to see Tayla win one of these (Bendigo Cups) – locals love seeing locals in these races.”

Being run for the first time on the same night as the Bendigo Pacing Cup, the $30,000 Group 3 Bendigo Trotters Cup (2650m) has attracted a field of 11.

Sutton Grange trainer Ross Graham will fly the flag for the locals with his Group 1 Vicbred Super Series placegetter Avant Gard, to be driven by Bendigo’s Ellen Tormey.

A city winner at Melton in late November, the five-year-old finished fifth in his last start in the Cobram Trotters Cup (2678m) on December 28.

The winner of that race, Bennie And The Jets, has drawn the pole on Saturday night.

In one of the best Group 1 Aldebaran Park Maori Mile field ever assembled in the race’s 17-year history, former Bendigo trainer-driver Chris Svanosio will be shooting for a three-peat of wins with Arcee Phoenix.

The reigning Inter Dominion trotting champion has not raced since targeting the Dominion Trot at Addington Raceway in New Zealand in November, but finished second in a recent trial at Melton.

He will have something different to contend with this time around, with the returning Keayang Zahara aiming to land her 11th Group 1 win and her 21st victory from just 22 starts.

This year’s race is worth $100,000, up from $75,000 last year.

$75,000 Group 2 Garrard’s Horse and Hound Bendigo Pacing Cup field (1609m)

(Trainer/driver in brackets)

Front row

1. Petracca (Emma Stewart/Cameron Hart)

2. Catch A Wave (Andy Gath/Kate Gath)

3. Hi Manameisjeff (Jason Grimson/Cameron Hart)

4. Triple Eight (Jess Tubbs/Jordan Leedham)

5. Our Luciano (Keith Cotchin/Tayla French)

6. Code Bailey (Margaret and Paddy Lee/Lochie Cook)

7. Sweetnikkilou (Aaron Dunn/Aaron Dunn)

Second row