Suncraze will join Paul Messara-trained Caerless Choice who was beaten in a nail biting finish in the feature race at Scone Race Club.

Former Scone trainer O’Gorman said it was a big relief with the pressure high as the horse had never finished worse than second, with Sunday marking his fifth win in the Scone qualifier.

“I think that’s as nervous as I’ve ever been at the races,” she said.

“I really was feeling the pressure this last week – it’s a big relief to get that over and out of the way.

“I thought maybe this is the day we don’t run first or second, I knew it was going to have to happen sooner or later and I thought maybe this is the day that he’s not going to get there.

O’Gorman said the nerves were now settled and the focus would now be on Randwick with Suncraze not likely to run again before then.

“Now we can just go to Sydney and enjoy it,” she said.

Suncraze now enters the $500,000 Country Championship at Randwick on April 7 as equal favourite.

Scone Trainer Paul Messara said he was happy with the effort and the focus would be improving Caerless Choice for the final.

Caerless Choice came away with the win at last year’s qualifying heat in Scone before finishing fourth in the final.

The action on the track complimented a great day of entertainment at Scone Race Club with High Velocity Track Riders performing stunts between races and a jumping castle for the kids.

In a coup for the local rugby league, Scone Thoroughbreds flyer Tim Smith came away a close second against Rod Northam-trained After All That in a unique face-off.  

Dubbo now hosts the Western Region qualifier on Sunday before the Country Championships come to Muswellbrook the following week.