About his in-form pacer Betternbetter, Keith Cotchin is circumspect.
The Elmore horseman would be forgiven for being up and about and declaring big things for the impressive son of Betterthancheddar after his third straight win last night at Bendigo.
But on his jet, Cotchin’s jets remained cool.
“He seems to be coming back to some sort of form,” he told today's Trots Review.
“The horse seems to have matured and is really starting to race with that keenness again to find the line.”
Driven by Tayla French, 23, whose star is on the rise, Betternbetter (pictured) is three-from-three.
“She’s done a great job,” Cotchin said.
“She’s a nice girl and she’s been under a bit of pressure with him being an odds-on favourite. And it’s hard when you say you don’t want to be whizzing around to the death and that. She’s done a great job and has really clicked with him.”
There is little doubt French’s star is on the rise.
At Betternbetter’s last couple of wins the 23-year-old has remained ultra-composed and been able to extricate the pacer from tricky positions in the run.
“I’m rapt for her,” Cotchin said.
“She’s a good driver and this will give her a good kick-along.”
During region-raced racing Cotchin said he would take it “day by day” with Betternbetter.
“As far as medical and soundness viewpoints go the horse is fine and there’s no reason we can’t keep racing but we probably won’t do a lot until the regions open up again,” he said.
“He’s a hard horse to rate because he’s just a very average track-worker and doesn’t set the world on fire, but when he goes to the races he goes to another level and that showed again last night.
“Hopefully he’ll keep going through the classes. He is exciting.”
Last night’s win takes Betternbetter’s record to 11 wins from 22 starts for over $75,000 in stakes.
French finished with a winning double after earlier success aboard Joeys Hangover for her dad, trainer Terry French, in the Illusion Emblems Digital Printing Service Pace to open the program.
Other winners were Lola Devereux in the North West Ag Services Trot, Mascott in the Share Media Trot, Ringer Russ in the Sheahan Plumbing Pace, Gobsmacked in the Bendigo Party Hire Pace, Ozzie Battler in the J L King & Co Pace, and Our Doreen Days in the Yorkshire Park Standardbreds Pace.
Meanwhile at Shepparton Josh Aiken piloted a winning treble aboard Watchmedazzle in the Central Tyre Service 2YO Pace, Joonior Brown in the Your Sold Real Estate Pace and Janjuc in the Barastoc Pace.
David Moran finished with a winning double aboard Santa Casa Beach in the Hunter Rural 3YO Pace and RNR Windemere in the Saddleworld Shepparton Pace.
Other winners were Fullofmischief in the Alabar Maiden, Royal Admiral in the Cottrell Electrical Maiden and Rockin In Memphis in the Neatline Homes Pace.
First-Starter Form
Your guide to today’s trots debutants
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Race 2 – Ballarat Mazda 2YO Pace
Dougs Babe (2yo filly by Western Terror out of Dougs Courage, trained and driven by Geoff Webster)
First foal from a 23-time winning daughter of Courage Under Fire.
Platinum Sparkle (2yo filly by Bettors Delight out of Bollinger Baby, trained by Emma Stewart and driven by Jodi Quinlan)
Full-sister to five-time winning Bossanova Bay, out of Christian Cullen mare who won 10 races and $67k in stakemoney.
Tuppence (2yo gelding by Lincoln Royal out of Star Crossed, trained by Geoff Webster and driven by David Murphy)
Out of a daughter of Art Major, who won 12 races from 36 starts. This is her first foal.
Tough Tilly (2yo filly by Captaintreacherous out of Beninjurd, trained by Emma Stewart and driven by Kate Gath)
Out of Art Major mare Beninjurd, this girl’s a half-sister to star juvenile Centenario and Somedan.
Act Now (2yo colt by Somebeachsomewhere out of Mollys Ideal, trained by Emma Stewart and driven by John Caldow)
First foal to the races from a daughter of American Ideal.
Sumomentsomewhere (2yo gelding by Somebeachsomewhere out of Special Moments, trained by Jess Tubbs and driven by Greg Sugars)
First foal from three-time winning daughter of Bettors Delight.
HRV – Cody Winnell