Mum-to-be Emma Stewart gives her baby a career kickstart in countdown to Victoria Cup

NOTHING has interrupted Emma Stewart’s remarkable charge towards Saturday night’s Victoria Cup at Melton — not even her bouncing baby bump.

Harness trainer Emma Stewart works Yankee Rockstar at Smythes Creek. Picture : Mike Keating.

NOTHING has interrupted Emma Stewart’s remarkable charge towards Saturday night’s Victoria Cup at Melton — not even her bouncing baby bump.

Stewart has one in the oven and three in the Cup.

The baby, her first, is “big’’ and due in about a month but for now the Cup is bigger. At least it’s more imminent — she hopes.

“Right now Saturday night is more important I think,’’ 33-year-old Stewart said. “To be honest the birth of the baby is the last thing I want to think about right now.

Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin have been together 11 years. Picture: Mike Keating

She adds with a chuckle: “It wasn’t perfect timing — we didn’t plan it very well.’’

Well planned has been the assault of Stewart and her partner Clayton Tonkin on the most star-studded harness race for decades.

As one harness scribe observed last week: “Every runner might end up in the Hall Of Fame.’’

Stewart’s three runners are among the best horses in the land; Restrepo was a champion juvenile, Philadelphia Man is Victoria’s most promising horse and Guaranteed is a former champion two, three and four-year-old.

Guaranteed is the $5 second favourite behind Tasmanian champ Beautide ($3), just ahead of Philadelphia Man at $5.50. Restrepo, drawn poorly on the second row, is a $41 chance.

No stable since the famous Knights of the 1980s has had more champions under one tin roof.

In the blue collar and dust world of harness racing there are no fancy trappings, just the rewards of the relentless grind.

Emma admits her yet-to-be born daughter has done more laps than mum can care to count. Picture: Mike Keating.

A dust storm churned up the barren paddocks at Stewart’s stables at Smythes Creek near Ballarat on Wednesday as heavily pregnant Stewart and others worked her 50 horses — and three champions — around a deep sand track.

The horses were “naked’’ – no harness or hobbles, just sulkies and a grinding routine of five slow laps and another five at a spectacular gallop.

Stewart’s daughter is yet to be born but she’s done more laps than her mother could count.

“She’s been kicking heaps, especially when we’re doing laps,’’ she said, adding the youngster might be a natural driver.

“She’ll either love it or hate it. She’s had enough practice.’’

Emma has three outstanding candidates contesting Saturday night’s Victoria Cup — Restrepo, Philadelphia Man and Guaranteed. Picture: Mike Keating

Stewart and Tonkin have been together 11 years but it’s been in the last five that they have become the most successful trainers, at least of elite horses, in the state.

The hard yakka of daily life at the top has allowed little time to consider their achievement of multiple runners in probably the strongest race run in their lifetimes.

“We sort of don’t think about it but when you look back its pretty incredible,’’ Stewart said.

The couple has had the three Victoria Cup chances since they were yearlings.

The secret, the mum-to-be says, is patience.

“We’ve had them since they were babies and looked after them,’’ she said.