IF VICTORY in this Saturday's $30,000 St Arnaud Cup (2000m) eludes Bendigo trainers Steven and Toby Lake, there is one horse each would like to see win the race. That is each other's horse. For the first time in their respective careers - Steven's well-established and Toby's fledgling - father and son will go head-to-head in a race. It's a special moment for the family and one that has produced a week's worth of banter and good-natured jibes. Father Steven will saddle up his last start Avoca winner, the eight-year-old Saint Ay, while son Toby is putting his trust in the five-year-old Aquila Volare, a last start second in the $30,000 Manangatang Cup a fortnight ago. They are believed to be the first father and son trainers from Bendigo to have gone up against each other in a race since George and Rod Symons did it in either the early 2000s or late 1990s. For 25-year-old Toby, who is less than six months into his own training career, after having been an assistant trainer to Nick Ryan for five years and serving a long apprenticeship under the likes of his father, fellow Bendigo trainer Shane Fliedner and Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, a win would be special on many counts. Aquila Volare, formerly trained by Maher and Eustace, was purchased for just $11,000 with the St Arnaud Cup in mind. "There are a few St Arnaud locals who are in him - a couple of people on the committee - as well as (Racing.com's) Benny Sporle and his family. His dad Andy is from St Arnaud," Toby said. "They are a great bunch of people and most of them have some sort of connection to St Arnaud. "It would be pretty cool if he was able to pull it off." Family bragging rights are also a factor for Toby, who is chasing his second career win, following success last month at Bendigo with Volpe Risorsa. READ MORE: The five-year-old mare was brilliantly ridden to victory by one of his childhood idols, champion jockey Damien Oliver. Asked if Aquila Volare could beat home Saint Ay in the smallish eight-horse field, Toby was swift and succinct. "I hope so," he responded. "Funnily, dad barely had a horse in work back a while ago and then when I turned back up here in Bendigo, he seemed to have them all back in work. "Maybe he's trying to shape up to me. "Dad was pretty rapt with the win at Avoca. He's had a bit of luck at that meeting in the years gone by. "It's a hard caper, so I'm rapt to see anyone win a race, but especially when it's family. "I feel his horse will have to improve again to win on Saturday, but anything can happen - it is a horse race." On his own horse's chances, Toby was optimistic of an ultra-competitive follow-up from Aquila Volare, after his narrow cup defeat at Manangatang. "I am pretty confident I have got him as good as I can have him," he said. "It's just a matter now of whether he is good enough. There are a couple of horses in there, especially the two up the top (Never Again and Sky Horse), that are going to be hard to beat. "They're well credentialed horses and city winners, so he will have to bring his A-grade game. "I will say that he really appreciates hard tracks, which is a bit of a weird one. Not many horses usually like it rock hard, they generally appreciate some give in the ground. "Usually when you go to these meetings at Manangatang and St Arnaud, barring any bad weather, it's what you get. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it." Steven will head into the cup with confidence after Saint Ay broke a 480-day win drought at Avoca last weekend. The son of Reset has some sound form around country cups. Like Aquila Volare this year, Saint Ay finished second in last year's Manangatang Cup and backed it up with a third two weeks later in the St Arnaud Cup. "When he's right, he's pretty honest," Steven said this week. READ MORE: "That was our second win with him (at Avoca) and he's had multiple placings. We've had a lot of fun with him. "He ran third last year (in the St Arnaud Cup), but I think he is going better this year." Steven is looking forward to the father-son side battle with Toby. "If I am going to get beat, I hope it's by him," he said. Toby agreed that fronting up against his father after many years of working alongside each other would add plenty of sentiment to the race for the both of them. "Whoever beats the other one's horse home, I'm sure they are going to hear about it for a while," he said. "Christmas will be interesting this year. "We might have to have a bet. Whoever loses might have to do both stables work Christmas morning. "I'm quietly confident my horse is peaking at the right time. "To think we purchased him four months ago for $11,000 and this weekend he's running in what is a lot of his owners' local cup. It's a great feeling." Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: