As the field was whittled down through three qualifying heats, the best of the new on-the-market horses will be facing off in this final event. With a field packed with top contenders, this pacing event is definitely worth checking out. There are plenty of frontrunners going into this, but, if past performances are any indication, the three horses to watch are Palomine, Miami Rocket, and Dark Duncan. The three horses won their respective qualifying heats leading up to this race, which gives them a distinct advantage. Miami Rocket is sitting in the best position in barrier number six.

While plenty of punters will be looking to these three horses for a win, there is plenty of other talent in this field that is worth checking out. Brulea Charlie, who took a third place finish in his qualifying heat, had one of the better winning records last season in Australia. The gelding’s second row position will be a tough hurdle to cross, but he started much the same last week and still managed a third place finish.

Hitemup in the pole position and Just Stay N Alive in barrier two are also worth considering as both had plenty of experience last season and posted some competitive best winning mile rates.

The Decron Horse Care Battle of the Claimers Final will be race number two on the Tabcorp Park’s card this Friday, September 10. Be sure to get to SportsBet to check out the odds on this upcoming race, as you won’t find better odds anywhere else.

2010 Battle of the Claimers Final Field and Barrier Draw:

The Battle of the Claimers kicked off with the first heat being the first on the night’s card. It was somewhat of a surprising finish as Palomine finished in the top position. This is fantastic news for punters who chose the bay gelding as he paid out at 5.40 odds. Race favourite Our Sand Fly didn’t fare too badly, finishing in a close third place just 3.10 off the race leader. Ticket Time took second.

Plenty were expecting Anvils Revival to take the win, though the New Zealand horse had a very disappointing run. He finished in 11th position.

Battle of the Claimers Heat 1 Results:

The second heat in The Battle of the Claimers was another shocking finish. There were six major contenders going into this harness race, but only one managed to live up to the hype. Miami Rocket – a 3.20 favourite, crossed the line in first place to take the top prize of $5,400. The DK Douglas-driven gelding started the race three wide. He moved up to the outside leader before overtaking the field in the final moments of the race.

Upward Ever Upward was the only other top contender that placed in this qualifying heat. The BK Woodhouse-trained gelding finished in third position, 7.80m off the race leader and right behind second place finisher The Timely Trader. Flying Class, Way Up High, and Awesome Alto were all expected to do well in this field but finished fifth, seventh, and ninth respectively.

The Battle of the Claimers Heat 2 Results:

It seems it was a night for surprises as heat three produced another unlikely winner. Jay Bee Aitch and Dhoni were expected to do well, though neither managed to place in the top three. The former fared the best, finishing in fourth and 10.20m off the race leader. Punters who backed race favourite Dhoni were most certainly disappointed with the horses sixth place finish.

Dark Duncan surprised harness racing fans by crossing the line first. The DK Douglas-driven gelding had fantastic gate speed and led at the bell. He finished with a very convincing 8.10m over the second place finisher. Altivo and Brulea Charlie (another favourite going into the race) rounded out the top three.

The Battle of the Claimers Heat 3 Results:

Don’t forget that the first four finishers in these qualifying heats will be going on to appear in The Battle of the Claimers Final event. It will be held at Tabcorp Park on September 9, so stay tuned for a full preview of the race. Plus, you can check out all the results and odds on pacing events throughout Australia at SportsBet.

Has The Answers, the race favourite, didn’t disappoint as the Tony Svilicich-trained gelding crossed the finish line in first position, beating out the competition by a margin of 4.90m. That’s great news for punters who backed the horse at SportsBet at 1.30 odds. He got off to a brilliant start with excellent gate speed. The brown gelding led the pace to the finish line, all the while keeping a comfortable lead. It’s a great kick off to the new season for the record setting gelding. Plenty of experts are expecting another fantastic season.

Motu Treasure finished in second after a fantastic start. The New Zealand horse was a frontrunner for many punters with 5.40 odds. With two laps to go, the bay gelding was just behind leader Has The Answers. It was a position that he never surrendered as he crossed the line second. Mysta Magical Mach (12.30) was touted as a strong contender, probably the only Svilicich-trained horse that could keep up with the speed of Has The Answers. While the ML Woodley-driven gelding didn’t quite match the speed of his stable mate, he did have a fairly successful run. He went into the final lap as the outside leader and managed to take a third place finish, 8.20 off of first place.

2010 New Seasons Pace Results:

It will be race number six on the card, starting at 8:07pm. There are quite a few impressive veteran pacers that have plenty left to give. Among them are the famed Korlim Garry, Jetsons Blue Jean, Itsokaytobefake, and Gracious Legend.

Though these experienced horses know how to win races, they will face plenty of tough competition in this claimers pace. Two horses in particular have emerged as frontrunners. The first of which is the 12-year-old Nickys Falcon. While the Todd McCarthy-driven gelding may be one of the older horses, he still racked up over $75,000 in winnings last season in Australia. That included ten first place finishes and 13 placings in 40 starts. Nickys Falcon will be starting the race in fair position in barrier number six. Arapal is another tough competitor and is in prime position to take top place in this race as the 11-year-old colt is sitting pretty in gate number two. Add to that the fact that he finished the season with an impressive 11 wins, 11 placings, and over $70,000 in winnings.

Winners of this claiming pace will share in the $7,500 prize pool. Here’s a look at the rest of the field and barrier draw:

Field & Barrier Draw:

The $17,500 event has drawn an impressive field of top contenders, though there are three frontrunners that should give fans a show. Truckers Ruffnut turned a few heads last season with seven first place finishes in 16 starts. The Gary Hall-driven colt also managed three second place finishes and two third. Truckers Ruffnut has a decent history on the Gloucester Park track with is most recent appearance resulting in a win by an astounding 7.9 metres. The upcoming race will have him starting from barrier number five.

New Zealand’s Our Mercurio is certain to be a tough test. The Michael George-driven horse also has seven first place finishes in 18 starts. Not only has the bay gelding placed more often than Truckers Ruffnut, but he also set a slight better best winning mile rate last season. Our Mercurio will be starting in barrier number six with a 20-metre handicap, which could be a tough hurdle to cross. His most recent appearance at Gloucester Park came in July. The gelding put up a strong effort to come in behind Themightyquinn to take third place.

Check out the odds on the upcoming races at Gloucester Park at SportsBet, including the Pacer of the Year Discretionary Handicap this Friday, September 3. You won’t find better odds anywhere else and, thanks to the convenience of betting online, it couldn’t be easier to place your bets.

Field and Barrier Draw:

As one of the first feature races of the new season, this race has drawn an impressive field of pacers. Trainer Tony Svilicich is certainly well represented with six horses competing for the title. He and driver Chris Lewis are hoping to repeat their New Seasons Pace success with a second win as a pair. They first found victory in this harness racing event in 2006 with Taihape Tickler.

Their chances are certainly looking good as they will be running Has The Answers who made headlines last season with a history making number of wins. Has The Answers is going into this one as the favourite and is sitting in his usual barrier number nine on the outside of the front line. Many are predicting another quick start for the gelding to set the pace for the field to control the race. Punters would be wise to back Has The Answers, as there aren’t too many horses that can match his speed.

Mysta Magical Mach – another Svilicich-trained gelding – looks to be just about the only contender that will be able to keep up with his stable mate. While he failed to capture any wins last season in Australia, the bay gelding did have two second place finishes and one third in seven starts. Mysta Magical Mach is in slightly better position in barrier number eight, which could give him a shot at pulling out ahead of Has The Answers.

Motu Treasure will be starting at the pole while Next Tiger is sitting pretty in barrier number two. The former is known for good gate speed, making him another strong contender. Motu Treasure turned heads last season with his ten wins in 24 starts. He has appeared on the WA track five times and taken four wins. The Colin Brown-driven gelding certainly shows promise and could pose a threat to the dominating Has the Answers.

The race will be number seven on the night’s card set to start at 8:20pm. Don’t forget to get to SportsBet for all of the odds on the upcoming pacing event before it kicks off this Friday at Gloucester Park. With the most generous odds available, it’s the only place to go for all of your harness race betting.

2010 Stallion Station FHRC New Seasons Pace Field and Barrier Draw:

This year’s field of on the market horses has drawn quite a few handy types. The favourite of Heat 1 looks to be Anvils Revival in barrier five. The AA Barber-trained gelding has really hit his stride in the past couple of months. With 37 starts under his belt, he’s racked up eight first place finishes, seven second place, and three third.

2010 Battle of the Claimers Field and Barrier Draw: Heat 1 @ 6:43pm:

Heat 2 – the Big6 Battle of the Claimers – is jam packed with some fantastic contenders, featuring no less than six horses that have gained top three finishes in recent races. Flying Class (barrier five), Way Up High (barrier six), Miami Rocket (barrier 7), Marching Home (barrier eight), Awesome Alto (barrier nine), Upward Ever Upward (barrier 13) have all been performing well as of late. Miami Rocket has accumulated four wins over the course of last season. The GF Douglas-trained gelding has also taken nine seconds and ten thirds. Upward Ever Upward is next in line with the most wins with three first place finishes in 19 starts.

Big6 Battle of the Claimers Field and Barrier Draw: Heat 2 @ 7:42pm:

Heat 3 will be the final race on the card. With five horses to watch out for, it should be a fitting end to the qualifying rounds. Jay Bee Aitch finished last season off strong with a first place finish in the B Eeles Sulkies race held at Maryborough, and offers one of the best winning mile rates of the field. Fans and perspective owners should also watch out for Cam Rouge (barrier five). The bay gelding has taken two first place finishes in recent weeks. Other Heat 3 horses to watch include Dhoni, Village In Vessa, and Brulea Charlie.

Be sure to check out SportsBet for all of the latest harness racing action. You’ll find the most generous odds on races throughout Australia, including plenty for Tabcorp Park at Melton.

Shire of Melton Battle of the Claimers Field and Barrier Draw: Heat 3 @ 10:14pm:

Justice started the night off right with a win in the Tabcorp Park Melton Pacers Handicap. The M0+ race was run over a distance of 2,240 metres and carried a purse worth $15,000. Justice’s horse Vito Vito was a $3.00 favourite going into the race, and the brown gelding didn’t let punters down. Starting from the front row in barrier four, Vito Vito went on to take a convincing win and over $10,000 in prize money. Tellthebanker was 8.70 behind to take second. Justice’s Artoc finished in third place 9.10 off the leader.

2010 Tabcorp Park Melton Pacers Handicap Results:

The success didn’t stop there for Justice. He followed up the impressive performance with another in race number seven – the Minuteman Free For All. Many were predicting that the Justice-trained Smoken Up would take the win in this one, and the gelding didn’t disappoint. In a thrilling race that came right down to the wire, Smoken Up managed to pull ahead of second place finisher TI Vogliobene to take the much needed win. Not only did this mark the horse’s seventh win in Australia this season, but it also secured the trainers’ premiership title for Justice. This year marks the fourth premiership win in the last five years for Justice.

While Douglas and Peacock had high hopes going into Friday night’s festivities, neither trainer came through with a win. The night was especially disappointing for Peacock when he failed to come through with a placing in The Graduate. Race number six on the card featured four Peacock-trained horses that were expected to do well. Cullens Impact, who was expected to do the best, took 11th place, finishing 19.50 off the leader. Wrongly Accused didn’t fare any better, finishing in last place 24.90 off the leader. The BL Hansen-trained Arber took first place and the $13,500 prize.

2010 Minuteman FFA Results:

It’s going to be a showdown between the Tony Svilicich-trained horses, as he has eight contenders appearing in the race. Though, the biggest story is surrounding Has the Answers. The seven-year-old gelding has had a history making season with performances that have never been seen in WA pacing. The Svilicich-trained horse racked up an astounding 23 wins in 46 starts. He’s also taken nine second place finishes and five in third. He’s the race favourite going into this one as plenty of fans are predicting win number 24. The harness racing event will see Has the Answers returning to his favoured distance of 2130 metres, which bodes well for punters looking to back the horse.

Svilicich will most likely take out the trifecta with so many horses appearing in the race. Mysta Magical Mach in barrier eight and Real Life in barrier ten are expected to finish close behind the race favourite.

C Harding-trained Denzel Washington and S Torre-trained Constantly Perfect are sitting pretty in the number one and two spots respectively. Though they have secured the coveted positions, they shouldn’t be too much trouble. The former hasn’t managed to grab a win in his nine starts and the latter has only managed four first place finishes in 27 starts. All in all, the odds are with Svilicich in this one, so a wager on his horses at SportsBet is almost guaranteed.

The Spring Stakes is race number eight on the card, set to start at 8:50pm this Friday, August 27. So get to SportsBet to put down a last minute wager.

2010 Spring Stakes Field and Barrier Draw

The generous prize pool has drawn a very interesting field of stayers, though, plenty of people will be keeping a close eye on the G F Douglas and A L Peacock trained horses. The two trainers are locked in a battle for the metropolitan trainers’ premiership with each having taken 21 wins respectively. The Minuteman is the third to last event in the premiership, making a win in this event all the more important. Both men have two horses running.

Douglas is counting on a win from either of his Bold Cruiser or Megasam. Both New Zealand geldings were lucky in the barrier draw with the former sitting in number three and the latter right next door at number four. Chances of a win are looking kind of slim for the Douglas team as Bold Cruiser only has two wins in 19 starts in Australia this season and Megasam is looking at just four wins in 29 starts.

Luckily for Douglas, Peacock’s Ohoka Nevada and Benny Mac are long shots for the win as they have been hampered by a couple of second row positions. Adding to that is the fact that the colts haven’t faired much better than Douglas’s. Ohoka Nevada has posted six wins in 19 starts and Benny Mac has four in 23. While Peacock isn’t giving up hope for a win, he has admitted that he’ll have a hard chance beating race favourite Smoken Up.

The Lance Justice-driven gelding has had an impressive season with seven wins in 16 starts. He’s also amassed seven second place finishes and two in third. He’s a major contender for the Horse of the Year award and is looking strong to take out yet another win. Smoken Up will be starting in gate number seven. Though if horse or driver make any mistakes, be sure that Douglas and Peacock will be hot on his tail for a chance at the win.

All three men are well represented at Tabcorp this weekend with at least two pacers in multiple races. That includes race number six on the card The Graduate, which shows the most promise for Peacock and his two horses Cullens Impact and Wrongly Accused. Get to SportsBet for some last minute wagering on one or both of these Tabcorp Park races.

2010 Minuteman FFA Field and Barrier Draw