Starting from the front row barrier four as the $2.50 favourite, the Queensland trained Washaki beat home the Gary Hall-trained Im Themightyquinn ($4.70) by 1.2m with Our Malabar ($41.70) the surprise third placegetter an extra four metres back.

It was a rough and tumble affair with many of the top elects finding themselves restrained after the start and unable to get a clear run including Has The Answers ($5.60) who came in fifth behind Alzona ($40.40) the roughie who had a great run for fourth, and sixth placegetter Bonavista Bay ($6.50).

The eventual winner was four deep into the first turn after showing great gate speed and then found himself caught three wide early on. Washakie continued to have a tough run but pressed forward to get up and make his move on the outside of the leader, crossing Indian Giver to lead the way into the back straight.

Inside the 650m local hero Im Themightyquinn raced up to Washakie and gave it everything he had, the two racing head to head before Im Themightyquinn snatched the lead for a few metres. But it was Washakie who took home the title after pulling out a final burst of acceleration to pull away from his fast finishing rival to take the title by just over a metre.

Early leader Indian Giver lost pace and ran out of charge, stopping to a walk in the final stretch and eventually finishing a distant ninth.

The John McCarthy-trained and driven Washakie peeled off sensational quarter sectionals to run a record breaking mile rate of 1:56.3, beating Our Sir Vancelot’s previous race mile rate record of 1:57.3 set in 1998.  The $250 000 first place prizemoney raised his earnings to an impressive $699 945 from his 24 career wins.

Now a triple Group 1 winner, Washakie will move on to the $400 000 BIG6 Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley on February 6, for which he has now been penalised 10m.

The victory also saw Washakie elevate to third on the overall Barastoc Grand Circuit leaderboard with four races to go in the series. Washakie sits on 11 points, four behind the leader Monkey King.

2010 WA Pacing Cup Results:

The WA Cup is shaping up to be a sensational race with an elite field full of Group 1 winning champions eager to claim the lucrative prize and secure another prestigious victory.

Prolific trainer Gary Hall Snr. has four of his top pacers engaged in the final. Indian Giver has drawn ideally with barrier one, but Hall’s other more fancied horses Talk To Me Courage (br.7), Im Themightquinn (br.10) and Alzona (br.12) have all drawn wide.

Hall’s strong contingent will face some truly tough opposition from the likes of the Tony Svilicich-trained Has The Answers and Bonavista Bay, trained and driven by Mark Reed.

Has The Answers last victory was in the Group 1 Australian Pacing Championship a fortnight ago and the seven-year-old gelding will start from barrier nine on Friday night. He is also the most experienced pacer of the bunch having had 104 career starts.

Has The Answers will be driven by Chris Lewis, the chief reinsman competing in his 28^th WA Pacing Cup. Lewis has won the race a total of five times, the second highest number of wins in the event behind Phil Coulson with seven WA Cup victories.

Bonavista Bay is coming off a last start victory in the McInerney Ford Classic and has drawn barrier six in the WA Cup.

Also drawn well in the race and not to be overlooked is the winner of the 2009 Australian Pacing Championship Washakie. The John McCarthy trained and driven six-year-old is set to jump from barrier four and has a 50% strike rate at Gloucester Park, having won 7 of his 14 starts at the track.

Washakie is looking to atone for his unlucky seventh in the WA Pacing Cup last year.

The other highlight race of the meeting will be the WA Pacing Cup Consolation (race six).

The WA Pacing Cup final is scheduled as race seven on the night’s great 10-race programme and is set to start at 8:55pm (WA time).

2010 WA Pacing Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw:

Master trainer Gary Hall Snr. has four of his pacers and a fifth as the second emergency engaged in the esteemed event on Friday night. Of the group, Alzona and hot favourite Im Themightyquinn both drew ideally with barriers one and four respectively. Hall’s son Gary is set to drive five-year-old New Zealand bred Im Themightyquinn as the father son training duo, the most successful in the race’s history, attempt their sixth win in eight years.

Hall’s other runners are Indian Giver (br.8), Talk to Me Courage (br.10) and Spirit Of Shard (Em.2/br.14).

The Hall contingent are sure to see some strong competition from the in-form Schinzig Buller in barrier six, the Ryan Bell-trained runner wining three and placing second twice in their past five starts. Another strong contender is the Greg Bond-trained Report For Duty, ideally drawn in barrier two.

But it is seven-year-old Has The Answers (br.5) who will bring the strongest challenge, due to be driven by top reinsman Chris Lewis following trainer Tony Svilichich’s decision to replace the outstanding young driver Morgan Woodley with Lewis for Friday night.

The WA Nights of Thunder Final is scheduled as race six (8:17pm) on the bumper 10-race card for Friday night, followed by the headline event, the Australian Pacing Championship (race seven at 8:47pm).

Gloucester Park Race Programme – Friday Night January 8:

2010 Australian Pacing Championship Final Field & Barrier Draw:

It was a sensational and very lucrative night for the superior Perth trainer, Hall claiming the trifecta as two of his other four entries filled the placings, becoming the first trainer to land the trifecta in the race’s 80-year history.

The favourite at $3.20 Im Themightyquinn, driven by Hall’s son Gary Jnr., defeated Alzona ($14.70) by 2.7m with outsider Dartmoor ($69.40) a close third.

The five-year-old winner made a stylish and speedy comeback after placing eighth at trial last week and overcame his 10m handicap with ease to take the lead at the mile marker. Im Themightyquinn held on to cross the line first giving the Hall stable its third win in the event after their former pacing star The Falcon Strike claimed victory in 2002 and 2004.

The only thing that marred the celebrations was Gary Hall Jnr.’s 12-day suspension for forcing Indian Giver four wide 1000m after jumping.

It was a disappointing race for the Golden Nugget winner Bonavista Bay, the $3.20 favourite finishing a distant sixth after meeting early interference and being forced to race without cover into the breeze.

Son of Washington VC, Im Themightyquinn will now be aimed at the $125 000 Find 30 Australian Pacing Championship on January 8 followed up with the $400 000 Find 30 WA Cup on January 22.  If he pulls up well enough after his sensational victory however, the gelding’s next start will be this Friday night in the $60 000 Celebrity Sprint.

2009 Stallion Station Fremantle Pacing Cup Result:

Trainer Gary Hall has entered a record five horses in the event, Alzona (1), Dartmoor (3), Ohoka Rebel (5), Im Themightyquinn (8) and Indian Giver (9), with Hall naming five-year-old Im Themightyquinn the one to beat despite his disappointing eight length defeat at trial last weekend.

The Emma Stewart-trained Bonavista Bay, winner of last week’s Golden Nugget, will start from barrier seven. If successful on Friday night, the four-year-old will be the first Golden Nugget champion to win the Fremantle Cup.

Stewart is the second female trainer to have a runner entered in the Fremantle Cup on Friday. The other is Skye Bond, making history by pairing up with her husband and fellow trainer Greg who also has horses in the race. They are the first husband and wife to each have runners starting in the same Fremantle Cup.

Skye has entered Mister Veejays Fella, coming off a win at the track last week, due to start from barrier four.

The Fremantle Cup is scheduled as race six at Gloucester Park on Friday night and is due to start at 8:35 pm (WA time).

2009 Group 1 Stallion Station Fremantle Pacing Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw: