This Saturday the next big feature race on the Australian Pacing Calendar will take place at Bray Raceway as the track hosts the second night of the Sky Racing Nights Of Glory carnival, the $125 000 Group 1 PETstock Ballarat Cup (2710m).
12 elite pacers are ready to fight it out for the prestigious title, including the Geoff Webster-trained champion Mister Zion.
Due to be driven by Luke McCarthy on Saturday, Mister Zion has drawn superbly in barrier one from where the promising pacer can make the most of his great gate speed.
Coming off three successive victories including his win in the Group 1 South Australian Pacing Cup last start, the in-form Red River Hanover gelding will be sure to play a big role in this race and is possibly Webster’s best chance of winning back-to-back Ballarat Cups.
Webster also has gifted four-year-old Tear It All Away engaged in the feature, starting from barrier five, and the defending Ballarat Cup champion Mister Swinger, who he will be driving in barrier 11.
The star studded field also comprises of the brilliant previous winner of the Hunter Cup and the Inter Dominion Mr Feelgood, and last start-winner Sammy Maguire.
The Gavin Lang-trained Sammy Maguire has been stunningly consistent and claimed an impressive victory in the Group 2 Bendigo Pacing Cup last Saturday ahead of Mr Feelgood.
The two will face off again in the Ballarat Cup, Mr Feelgood having the disadvantage of drawing wide with barrier 12 while five-year-old Sammy Maguire has drawn ideally in barrier three.
The most experienced pacer is the John McCarthy trained and driven Be Good Johnny, starting in barrier seven.
The Ballarat Cup, which is also the next leg in the Barastoc Grand Circuit, is scheduled as race seven on the night’s great nine-event card and is due to jump at 10:00pm (VIC time).
The other highlight harness events at the Ballarat meeting will be races three and six, the two semi-finals of the SEW-Eurodrive Inter Dominion Trotting Championship.
2010 Ballarat Pacing Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw:
# |
Form |
Horse |
Trainer |
Driver |
Class |
| 1 | 24111 |
MISTER ZION (NZ) |
G F Webster | Luke McCarthy | C10 M3 |
| 2 | 51043 |
OUR MALABAR (NZ) |
L J Justice | Lance Justice | C15 M9 |
| 3 | 10121 |
SAMMY MAGUIRE (NZ) |
G A Lang | Gavin Lang | C13 M3 |
| 4 | s3440 |
BROADWAY PLAY |
S R McLean | Chris Alfrod | C11 M6 |
| 5 | 22283 |
TEAR IT ALL AWAY |
G FWebster | Craig Demmler | C8 M11 |
| 6 | 88681 |
OUR AWESOME ARMBRO (NZ) |
G C Small | David Butcher | C18 M11 |
| 7 | 43012 |
BE GOOD JOHNNY |
J P McCarthy | John McCarthy | C28 M23 |
| Second Row: | |||||
| 8 | 85433 |
MAKE WAVES – Em.1 |
R F Cook | David Murphy | C10 M5 |
| 9 | 48362 |
CINCINNATI KID (NZ) |
M Peace | Mark Peace | C16 M11 |
| 10 | 96133 |
TI VOGLIOBENE |
G R Norman | Greg Sugars | C12 M5 |
| 11 | s2008 |
MISTER SWINGER |
G F Webster | Geoff Webster | C11 M17 |
| 12 | 42712 |
MR FEELGOOD (USA) |
T G Butt | Anthony Butt | C22 M17 |
| 13 | 12114 |
KARLOO MICK |
B J Lew | Greg Bennett | C26 M20 |