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:

Blacks A Fake ($3.70), trained and driven by Natalie Rasmussen, defeated the $2.20 favourite Monkey King by 2.7m with the Lance Justice’s Smoken Up ($25.50) a further 3.2m back in third.

The impressive Fake Left gelding has now won 61 of his 82 career starts, with the lucrative $500, 000 first prize for Saturday’s win elevating his total prizmoney earned to an imposing $4, 179, 693. Blacks A Fake is hands down the richest Australian pacer in history.

Blacks A Fake has competed in five Inter Dominions over his dazzling career, narrowly missing out on a perfect record in the prestigious event when he ran a gallant second to Mr Feelgood last year.

This year Mr Feelgood went out as a $17.20 chance but failed to fire after being restrained at the start of the race, finishing a dismal second last in ninth.

The unprecedented number of Inter Dominion wins wasn’t the only record Blacks A Fake broke on Sunday, he also ran a world time record for 2300m after posting a scintillating gross time of 2:42.6 for a mile rate of 1:53.8.

Click here for the official HRNSW media release on Blacks A Fake’s sensational 2010 Inter Dominion win including details on how the race went down.

Also held at Menangle on Sunday was the $60, 000 Inter Dominion Consolation where Lance Justice’s Live or Die gelding Our Malabar ($7.10) claimed a close half-neck victory ahead of another pacer from the Natalie Rasmussen stable, Western Cam ($3.70). The warm pre-race favourite Sammy Maguire ($2.70) was a further 5.5m back for third.

The other great group pacing feature held over the weekend was the $30, 000 Group 3 Bullock Consulting Devonport Cup. The testing 3020m standing start event was won by five-year-old Panorama gelding Sky Tower in a surprise victory that saw the $1.90 favourite Our Sir Jeckyl finish well back in eight.

2010 Inter Dominion Results:

Last week the preliminary heats were held with the favourites reigning supreme in three of the races, but a few surprise roughies stepping up to fill the minor placings ahead of their higher seeded rivals.

The top 10 pacers at the end of the night will get their chance at the $1million final on Sunday March 7 at Menangle.

ID10 Heat 5:

The first Qualifying heat this Saturday night sees last week’s Heat 1 winner Atomic Arc jump from barrier four. Atomic Ark caused the upset of the preliminary heats when the $25.70 outsider narrowly beat home the $2.50 favourite Changeover by a half neck with I Am Sam ($8.70) in third.

Despite their win last week, the Natalie Rasmussen-trained gelding looks outclassed this week and will need a whole lot of luck to finish in the top two and move on to the final.

Atomic Arc faces some strong competitors including the Barastoc Grand Circuit winner Washakie who ran second to Bondy in heat four last week. Prepared and driven by John McCarthy, Washakie has drawn wide for Saturday’s run starting from barrier ten.

Others to watch in the first heat this week include the Lance Justice-trained Smoken Up, drawn ideally in barrier two and Mark Peace’s Cincinnati Kid.

The talented Smoken Up ran third to Blacks A Fake last week while it was a slightly disappointing finish Cincinnati Kid in the third preliminary heat when they ran a well beaten fifth to Monkey King.

Smoken Up is likely to start as the favourite in the opening heat and his blessed barrier two start should be a breeze in comparison to his inside back row draw last week.

ID10 Heat 6:

Lining up in the nine-horse second Qualifying heat on Saturday night is the stunning winner of heat 4 last week, the David Butt trained and driven Bondy. The Live Or Die gelding has won 22 of his 41 career starts and has displayed impressive recent form winning his past three successive races. The Hunter Cup winner Bondy has drawn ideally in barrier two.

Bondy currently sits second on the ID10 points tally with 15.

Starting on the outside of the sure to be favourite is the Keith Cotchin-trained five-year-old Tanabi Bromac in barrier three. The classy Victorian, currently ranked equal ninth with 10 points, ran a crafty third in their heat last week behind the overall ID10 points’ leader Monkey King, and will be ridden on Saturday by champion reinsman Greg Sugars who replaces Gavin Lang.

Other in-form pacers engaged in the 9:00pm heat include the consistent Changeover in barrier six and Gavin Lang’s Sammy Maguire in barrier four.

ID10 Heat 7:

The third heat this Saturday sees the gifted Monkey King starting from barrier three. Monkey King is currently the highest ranked Inter Dominion contender with 17 points and the odds-on favourite to take out the 2010 series. The Sands A Flyin gelding looks well positioned to lead all the way on Saturday night as his brilliant barrier draw and sensational gate speed should see him hit the front early.

Victorian I Am Sam is also running in the 9:30pm heat and has drawn well in barrier two. The giant Alan Tubbs trained pacer ran third last week behind Atomic Ark and Changeover but faces a tough field this round.

Drawn on the far outside in barrier ten is Karloo Mick while Our Awesome Armbro, a runner-up last week, stands a solid chance after securing barrier one.

ID10 Heat 8:

The final heat at Harold Park this Saturday features another star studded field, headlined by Blacks A Fake. Trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen will be aboard the Fake Left gelding for the second-round following their success in the second heat last week. Blacks A Fake is seeking their fifth consecutive victory, but has drawn wide with barrier nine.

The other quality runner in the 10:00pm heat is Mr. Feelgood in barrier five, but no matter what the quality of rivals, they will have a hard time defeating the three time Inter Dominion champion Blacks A Fake.

The four second round Heats for the 2010 Inter Dominion are scheduled as races four (8:30pm), five (9:00pm), six (9:30pm) and seven (10:00pm) on Saturday night’s bumper nine-race programme.

WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion Championship Qualifying Heat 5:

WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion Championship Qualifying Heat 6:

WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion Championship Qualifying Heat 7:

WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion Championship Qualifying Heat 8:

Four $40, 000 heats for the prestigious series will run and feature star-studded fields packed full of the nation’s most impressive and elite pacers.

All the big names will be there with Heat 1 looking to be the event of the night featuring I Am Sam drawn well in barrier one; the super consistent Karloo Mick in barrier three; in-form pacer Changeover in barrier six aiming for their fourth win from six starts; and the brilliant American-bred colt Mr Feelgood out wide in gate ten.

The second heat will be another hotly contested affair with the Natalie Rasmussen trained and driven star Blacks A Fake in barrier four coming off three successive wins; the Gavin Lang’s classy Sammy Maguire in barrier seven; and the prolific Lance Justice trained Smoken Up in the back row barrier eight.

Heat three sees the fantastic New Zealand pacer Monkey King (br.4) come up against the likes of Cincinnati Kid (br.5) and Tanabi Bromac (br.6) in a top class front row full of in-form runners in for a real chance not only in this heat but the series overall.

Finishing off with Heat 4, punters have another thrilling matchup on their hands with John McCarthy’s Washakie in barrier seven, the consistently good Bondy drawn well in barrier two and other great pacers including Western Cam in barrier five fighting it out to qualify for the next round.

The 2010 Watpac Inter Dominion Championship heats will run as races 4 – 7 on the meeting’s fantastic nine race programme and will commence at 8:00pm (NSW time).

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:

Five-year-old Sammy Maguire ($4.50) beat home the $3.30 favourite and reigning Inter Dominion Champion Mr Feelgood by 2.6m with Ti Vogliobene ($22.40) some four metres back from the winner for third.

Sammy Maguire well and truly atoned for his last start defeat to Mr Feelgood in the New Year Sprint, the winning Mach Three gelding running a mile rate of 1:49.4 that included a sizzling 27.7second final quarter.

It was a disappointing result for driver Brian Gath, who was going for his second Bendigo Cup victory.

Gath drove the Tony Peacock-trained third favourite Power Of Tara ($4.80) in the feature but only managed to finish sixth despite leading on the outside at the bell.

The victory elevated Sammy Maguire’s career record to 17 wins from 30 starts, and he will now focus on this season’s Watpac Inter Dominion that commences at Harold Park on February 19.

2010 Bendigo Pacing Cup Results:

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:

A seven-year-old son of Grinfromeatoear, Mr Feelgood ($6) crossed the line first in the 1720m mobile start sprint, just a half-head in front of the $2.10 favourite Sammy Maguire, with Make Waves ($13.30) nearly two and a half metres back from the winner for third.

Trained by Tim Butt and ridden by Butt’s brother Anthony, Mr Feelgood impressed punters and spectators by triumphing over his awkward outside back-row draw of 11, running without cover over the last 800m, snatching the lead from Sammy Maguire on the straight to win with a blistering mile rate of 1:55.8.

It was the American-bred pacer’s first victory since he took out the Inter Dominion last March and he more than made up for his lacklustre seventh placing last start in the SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup last month.

Mr Feelgood’s next major focus is on the BIG6 Hunter Cup, but he should be on the track again this Saturday night in the Bendigo Cup, with the Ballarat Cup also in his sights.

2010 SEW-Eurodrive New Year Sprint Results: