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:

A line up of the country’s top pacers are ready to do battle in the 2690m standing start event, which has become quite an open affair after a number of the leading contenders have drawn wide.

The highly fancied  Geoff Webster-trained Mister Swinger, dual winner of the Barastoc Grand Circuit, will start from barrier nine just on the outside of the other Grand Circuit champion lining up in the race, Power Of Tara (br.8).

Mister Swinger is one of two entries in the Shepparton Cup for Webster, the other being Tear It All Away, the son of Armbro Operative having drawn far better in barrier two.

Other talented runners starting wide include Tanabi Bromac (br.11) coming off a last-start win in the Horshamp Cup and Ohoka Nevada (br.10). Both starting 10m off on Saturday, these two also share another common factor; they are the only horses of the Shepparton Cup field guaranteed a start in the coveted $400 000 Group 1 BIG6 Hunter Cup.

The winner of the Shepparton Cup is exempt from ballot for the BIG6 Hunter Cup, and with a number of runners keen for the exemption, it will be a tough race.

Currently installed as the odds-on favourite, however, is in-form nine-year-old Karloo Mick who has had sensational success recently, winning three of his last five starts and coming second in the other two.

The ever consistent Panorama gelding still has a lot of work to do however as he starts from barrier 12 in only his second start in Victoria.

Trained by Barry Lew, Karloo Mick is one of the most popular pacers taking to the field on Saturday night and has received quite a following of fans over his imposing 116 career starts.

The other two highlight pacing events at the meeting will be the $25 000 Listed The Lombo Finals. The 2YO Fillies Lombo will run as race two at 7:00pm (VIC time), followed by 2YO Colts & Geldings Lombo Final as race eight at 10:00pm (VIC time).

And trotting fans will be eager to see race five at 8:30pm (VIC time), the $30 000 Group 2 Aldebaran Park E B Cochran Trotters Cup (2690m) featuring the likes of Sundons Gift, Acacia Ridge and In Pursuit.

You can catch the star pacers in action at 9:30pm (VIC time) when the Neatline Homes Shepparton Gold Cup, which is the 14^th race in the 25-leg Choice Hotels Country Cups Carnival, takes place as race seven on the night’s elite nine-race programme.

Shepparton Race Programme – Saturday January 23, 2010:

2010 Shepparton Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw:

Dedicated driver Brian Gath is attempting his second Bendigo Cup win with the Tony Peacock-trained Power Of Tara starting from barrier four.

Peacock also has Ohoka Nevada entered in the event, having drawn worse off than their stablemate with barrier seven.

Two other top pacers have drawn ideally, the Gavin Lang trained and driven Horsham Country Cup runner-up Sammy Maguire in br.1 and Geoff Webster’s Mister Swinger in br. 2.

Webster also trains Tear It All Away, the first emergency gaining a start from barrier three with Craig Demmler behind the reigns as Webster drives Mister Swinger.

The star studded field continues with Inter-Dominion champion Mr. Feelgood, the American pacer’s chances only tainted by his wide barrier 11 start.

The Bendigo Cup is set as race seven on the cracker nine-race programme and is due to start at 9:30pm (VIC time).

2010 Bendigo Pacing Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw: