Trainer Craig Widdison is predicting Donna Scott and Bennelong Dancer to win a third Country Championship

The wait is over and finally the SDRA Country Championship day has arrived.

Trainers have been meticulously planning for this race for 12-months and congratulations to everyone lucky enough to have a runner.

The scratching of News Girl on Thursday certainly has been a big talking point.

I believe if News Girl started today she would of blew this lot away.

Not only that, I think News Girl would have also taken a power of beating in the final at Randwick.

But I guess now we'll never know.

IN OTHER NEWS

The TAB fixed-odds has Ilovesaki as favourite from Bennelong Dancer, Sky Call and Yousay Bolt.

It's hard to mount a case against that quartet as the testing material.

The one thing in the back of my mind when assessing the form was the last meeting at Albury the track was leader biased.

If that's the case again today it will benefit horses like Ilovesaki and Yousay Bolt who are drawn to get economical trips.

After studying the form, I'm convinced Bennelong Dancer is the horse to beat.

She gets in well at the weights again and probably the biggest query on her credentials is that she failed to fire in the spring.

But as a trainer, I'm prepared to forgive every horse one bad preparation.

If the track is playing fair, they are going to run along and that will suit her explosive finish.

After qualifying for the past two finals Bennelong Dancer has been there, done that and has trialled well in the lead-up.

Replacing regular rider Blaike McDougall because of suspension with Daniel Stackhouse is not ideal but nonetheless a handy replacement.

I'm tipping another mare for second in Yousay Bolt.

Trainer Ron Stubbs is an astute horseman as there is on the Border and is a master when it comes to setting a horse for a race.

Yousay Bolt blew her rivals away in a strong Federal race at Canberra two starts back which is a strong from pointer.

You just have to forgive last run when trapped wide on a shifty track that didn't suit.

Lightly-raced, well performed, good jockey, good barrier, is going to get the run of the race, will be strong late - Yousay Bolt certainly ticks a lot of boxes.

Ilovesaki has come up favourite and I'm tipping it for third.

I came up against Ilovesaki last-start at Albury with Straover who I have a healthy opinion of.

Even though the track was leader biased, I couldn't help but be impressed by how big a margin Ilovesaki won by.

Ilovesaki was ultra-impressive and its going to get a similar run again.

Brodie Loy takes the mount again and I think the kid is a gun and for whatever reason horses just seem to run for him.

I thought Sky Call was a good each-way chance before the barrier draw.

But drawing 15 is a nightmare and she doesn't have the luxury of D. Oliver today.

I give rough hopes to Real Key, Thistledo and Logan River.