After sitting three wide early on, the Geoff Webster-trained Mister Zion ($3.10) had snared the lead by the bell and held on for the win despite a strong challenge by the Gavin Lang-trained and driven Sammy Maguire ($2.30 Fav) who finished second just a head back.

Impressive filly Make Mine Cullen ($3.70) was only 1.5m away for third in a close top three finish after leading in the early stages of the race and sitting on the inside for the sprint home.

It was a thrilling finish for the spectators and a nervous wait for connections of the top two horses with Mister Zion and Sammy Maguire locked shoulder-to-shoulder over the final lap.

Mister Zion and Sammy Maguire were locked shoulder-to-shoulder over the final lap

On the back straight Sammy Maguire raced on the outside of Mister Zion, driven by boom reinsman Greg Sugars, who got just ahead on the line giving him the win over the odds-on favourite. It was the second consecutive year Sammy Maguire ran second in the Mildura Cup.

A son of Red River Hanover, Mister Zion now boasts an impressive strike rate of 14 wins from 23 starts and his career prizemoney totals $197,347.

2010 Park Douglas Printing Mildura Pacing Cup Results:

Ten of the country’s most exciting pacers are engaged in the 2600m mobile start feature including Geoff Webster’s talented Barastoc Grand Circuit Winner Mister Zion.

Geoff Websters’ talented Barastoc Grand Circuit winner Mister Zion will face off against Sammy Maguire

Last start winner in his Mildura Cup heat, Mister Zion will jump from barrier five on Saturday with master reinsman Greg Sugars due to drive.

The other winner from last week’s heats was the Gavin Lang-trained and driven Bendigo Cup victor Sammy Maguire who has drawn in the back row on Saturday night in barrier nine.

Trainer Glen Douglas is well represented in the 2010 Mildura Cup with Bunda Cliffs, who Glen with drive, and the consistent Breeders Crown winner Make Mine Cullen starting from barriers three and four respectively.

The 2010 Park Douglas Printing Mildura Pacing Cup is scheduled as race seven at 9:30pm on the night’s bumper nine event card that also features the $24,000 Mark Curry & Associates Cup Final (Race 5)

2010 Mildura Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw:

Starting the race as the $5.10 favourite, Bondy beat home Karloo Mick ($9.40), who had a beautiful run on the inside, by 2.9m with the Gary Hall-trained Im Themightyquinn ($6.60) 1.7m back again for third.

In an impressive display of speed and stamina, Bondy led after 200m and held on to the front position throughout the entire race.

It wasn’t always an easy run, with lots of pressure to maintain the lead coming from both sides. Lance Justice’s Smoken Up ($5.70) sat three wide on the outside of Bondy before Victoria Cup winner Bettors Strike ($7.40) also moved up and the three sat alongside each other into the home straight.

In the final quarter the two pacers applying pressure tiered, with Smoken Up finishing seventh while Bettors Strike dropped right back to twelfth.

As the chasers faded, Karloo Mick, who had travelled well behind Bondy throughout held on gallantly for second while Im Themightyquinn moved up and through the weary field to finish third.

On the final turn the David Butt trained and driven winner had widened his lead to a commanding six metres, but Karloo Mick put in a gallant chase to shorten the eventual margin to just under 3 metres.

The winning Live Or Die gelding ran a solid mile rate of 2:01.7s over the challenging 3065m standing start event, for his 21^st win from 40 career starts. It was only his second start in Australia following his debut at Ballarat the previous week.

Bondy will now be aimed at the Watpac Inter Dominion Pacing Championship beginning on 19 February.

The other big pacing events on the night were the $200 000 Group 1 Alabar Victoria Derby won by Courage To Rule, and the fast finishing $30 000 Group 3 4YO Bonanza where Living On Fire ($7.10) claimed victory just half a head in front of Village Of Dreams ($8.20) with the Geoff Webster-trained favourite Mister Zion ($1.60) in third.

2010 BIG6 Hunter Cup Results:

Going out at generous odds of $12.70, the winning In The Pocket colt beat home the warm favourite, Mr Feelgood ($3.20) by 1.2m with Karloo Mick ($5.40) finishing just a neck back in third.

It was a gallant run for the highly fancied Mr Feelgood as he worked hard to overcome his wide draw.

Pacesetter and eventual fourth placegetter, the Geoff Webster-trained Mister Zion, showed great gate speed and led most the way. Still in the lead at the bell by over a meter, Mister Zion driven by Luke McCarthy put in a fantastic effort on the home straight but tiered in the final metres with New South Wales pacer Karloo Mick close on his heels.

Driven by trainer Mark Peace, Cincinnati Kid then got the run on the inside after sitting off the speed and behind the leaders in the early stages, to hit the lead and take home his first Group 1 victory and maiden Barastoc Grand Circuit win.

Cincinnati Kid ran a sharp mile rate of 1:59.8 after a blistering 27.8s final quarter.

Karloo Mick’s driver Greg Bennet lodged a small protest against Anthony Butt, the reinsman behind Mr. Feelgood, over suspected interference in the final few metres, but the protest was upheld.

It was Mark Peace’s second Ballarat Cup following his success back in 1994 with Dark Paul.

The win was Cincinnati Kid’s 22^nd victory from a prolific 98-race career and the $80 000 first prize boosted his total prizemoney earned to $406 595.

2010 Ballarat Pacing Cup Results:

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:

The Geoff Webster-trained and driven Mister Zion ($7.80) beat the warm favourite and 2008 SA Cup winner Smoken Up ($1.30) by just a half-neck, with Greg Norman’s Ti Vogliobene ($3.20) in third, giving the winning trainer back-to-back success in the race following his victory last year with Mister Swinger.

The Red River Hanover gelding ran a mile rate of 1:58.7 over the testing 2645m mobile start feature in an impressive all-the-way victory for his maiden Group 1 win at only his 19^th career start. Mister Zion has now won six of his eight starts this season, the last three in succession.

But there was little love lost for runner-up Smoken Up, trained by top horseman Lance Justice, who fought hard throughout a horribly unlucky run, coming from second-last, three wide without cover, to challenge the lead in the closing lap.

2010 SA Pacing Cup Results:

Trainer driver Mal Whiteford has a strong presence in the SA Derby with three of his best pacers set to start. Whiteford will drive Kamwood Jack in the event, who has drawn ideally with barrier two. Starting beside their stablemate in barrier three, Mands Gearl will be driven by Greg Sugars. Whiteford also has Diceneasy entered, the less fancied runner drawing wide with barrier 10.

Meanwhile On-fire Mapua Legend, the only New Zealand-bred contender in the Derby is coming off three successive victories and will start from barrier seven.

Two of the top fancies in the SA Cup are the Geoff Webster trained and driven Mister Zion in barrier two, and Lance Justice’s Smoken Up, the most experienced pacer of the field, starting from barrier nine.

Mister Zion’s trainer Webster is seeking back-to-back success in the Cup following his victory with Mister Swinger last season. Mister Swinger is not defending his title this year, Webster instead opting to run the talented sprinter in the $20 000 SEW-Eurodrive New Year Sprint at Melton’s Tabcorp Park on Friday night.

Although four-year-old Mister Zion has displayed sensational form over his short career, winning 11 of his 18 starts, the 2008 SA Cup winner Smoken Up will still be the one to beat. Other competition will come in the form of the Mark Peace-trained Cincinnati Kid in barrier six and Diamonds N Furs in barrier seven.

The SEW-Eurodrive SA Derby is the first of the Group 1 features, scheduled as race four on the cracker nine-event programme for Saturday night and is due to start at 7:54pm. The SA Pacing Cup then takes place as race six at 8:52pm.

The feature trotting event at the meeting is the $25 000 Group 3 SA Trotters Cup (race three).

Globe Derby Race Programme – Saturday January 9:

2010 SA Derby Final Field & Barrier Draw:

2010 SA Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw: