Group-winning partners Kayla Cottrell and Jake Loverso are no strangers to country cup glory and the young training duo look sure to make their presence felt in Sunday night’s Group 2 Sportsbet Bendigo Cup heats (425m).

Cottrell, 21, who won the 2022 Warragul Cup with Robbie Rotten, has two Bendigo hopefuls in star prospect Journey Beyond (heat 1, box 1) and Blue Tungsten (heat 2, box 7).

Loverso, 27, is taking aim at a second country cup crown for the year with Shepparton Cup hero Lektra Heckler (heat 5, box 6).

The Pearcedale trio are at the point end of Sportsbet’s heat markets, with Journey Beyond and Lektra Heckler favourites, at $1.75 and $2.50 respectively, while Blue Tungsten is $4.

“The freshen-up has done him the world of good. His trials have been phenomenal.”

Journey Beyond is the $5.50 second elect in the ‘All in’ market, behind Alpha Zulu at $4.50, with Lektra Heckler $9 and Blue Tungsten $26.

Journey Beyond, a February ’21 son of Keybow and Bogie Princess, resumes from a two-month break, not having raced since August 13.

Journey Beyond has an imposing 12 from 15 record, finishing unplaced only once, when fourth, and is undefeated in two visits to Bendigo and two starts from box one.

“Hopefully it will be three out of three!” Cottrell quipped.

“After his last run at Sandown he just pulled up a little bit sore, so I tipped him out.

WATCH: “It is home and hosed!” Bendigo Cup contender JOURNEY BEYOND (B1) was a runaway BON 25.54sec winner at Warragul on August 6.

“He’d been up a while and the freshen-up has done him the world of good. His trials have been phenomenal and I’m really happy with him going into the heats.

“He’s drawn ‘the red’ too – I’m not going to complain about that – and hopefully the box will draw him out, because he can be a bit hit and miss.

“He has a terrific attitude to racing. He just finds a way to win. Some of his wins, he’s come from the clouds. I’d love to have ten of him in the kennel. He’s a beauty!”

Cottrell’s second Cup aspirant, Blue Tungsten, which broke Shepparton’s former 385m distance record (21.20sec) in January, has had two runs back after more than six months on the sidelines since contesting a G1 Australian Cup heat.

Blue Tungsten, winner of five from 20, ran a close second at Ballarat first-up, before a ‘forget’ run behind ‘kennelmate’ Lektra Heckler at Shepparton.

“Blue Tungsten is a very fast animal,” Cottrell offered.

“He’s had a few niggling injuries, but he’s been trialling super too. I wouldn’t have put him in the heats if he wasn’t.

“I don’t worry too much about draws with Blue Tungsten. He has an unbelievable turn of foot, whether he misses it a touch or comes out running. He just needs to be left alone.”

While giving both Journey Beyond and Blue Tungsten “good chances”, Cottrell – perhaps a little begrudgingly – rates Lektra Heckler the pick of the trio.

Lektra Heckler has returned in sensational style after spending three months on the sidelines.

Lektra Heckler winning the G2 Shepparton Cup in March 📷 Clint Anderson

The January ’20 son of Zambora Brockie and Lektra Viki has been dominant in three straight victories at Shepparton (21.44sec), Traralgon (22.03sec Best) and Ballarat (21.87sec Best), boosting his impressive strike rate to 22 from 48.

“He’s not far off four, but he’s like a fine wine – the older he gets, the better he gets,” Cottrell said.

“I think the three of them are good chances and hopefully they can all get the job done. But I’d say ‘Heckler’ is the best chance, just because of his flawless box manners. He’s so reliable early.

“But I’m certainly not knocking my two. It just depends on the start. Journey Beyond can come from behind, but Blue Tungsten wants to be out in front and rolling.”

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