Starting the race as the hot favourite at $1.40, the Tony Svilicich-trained Has The Answers lead all the way to defeat Kinneys Gold ($18.60) by 7.40m with roughie Tealsby Karita ($34.80) in third after an impressive run that saw them sitting second behind the leader until the very end.

It was a disappointing finish for the second elect, Gary Halls’ Spirit Of Shard ($7.20) who was restrained after the start and unable to get a clear run crossed the line in seventh place. Hall’s other runner was last start Lord Mayor’s Cup winner Talk To Me Courage ($9) who finished fourth.

Has The Answers breezed to the front right from the start gaining a brilliant clear run from his wide draw barrier six. Kinneys Gold got into second position early but was soon overtaken by Tealsby Karita.

It was a gallant effort from eventual third placegetter Tealsby Karita who began poorly but made up ground moving from the middle of the pack to finish in the money.

Controlling the pace throughout the 31.5 first quarter Has The Answers kept a solid three metre lead to Tealsby Karita who had crept up to snatch second position from Kinneys Gold. Over the second quarter Tealsby Karita edged closer to the leader, shortening the margin between them to just a metre on the turn.

With one lap to go Has The Answers held strong while Teaslby Karita gave chase and got within a head of the leader but Has The Answers had plenty left in the tank and galloped away reeling off third and final quarters of 29.2 and 27.5 for the win, his terrific final burst of speed widening the winning margin to nearly seven and a half metres.

Kinneys Gold made a charge up the inside to place second with Teaslby Karita a close third.

Has The Answers, a son of Legacy Of Power out of No Questions, ran a sharp mile rate of 1:58.0 in the Governors Cup and has now won 32 of his 111 career starts for $515, 894 in prizemoney.

2010 Governors Cup Results:

Nine top pacers are set to start in the 2130m mobile start feature including  the top three placegetters in last Friday night’s Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup – Talk To Me Courage, Spiritwithin and Spirit Of Shard.

Talk To Me Courage and Spirit Of Shard are both trained by prolific horseman Gary Hall Snr. and both have drawn wide for the Governor’s Cup.

The consistent Spirit Of Shard will start from barrier seven while the highly fancied Courage Under Fire gelding Talk To Me Courage is on the far outside in ten.

The top pick in the 2010 Governor’s Cup is the brilliant Tony Svilicich-trained Has The Answers. The champion seven-year-old Legacy Of Power gelding is coming off a last start victory in the Chinese New Year Cup and also has a recent Group 1 Australian Pacing Championship win up his sleeve. He will jump from barrier six with driver Chris Lewis on Saturday night as he attempts his 16^th win from 32 starts at Gloucester Park over his favoured 2130m distance.

Has The Answer is sure to start as the odds-on favourite in the event, and if he lives up to expectations as the powerful pacer looks ready to do, he will become the first favourite to take out the Governor’s Cup after three failed favourites in the last three years.

If successful, it will be Chris Lewis’ first win in the Cup too following a string of unsuccessful runs in the past three years that included two seconds with Earl Of Locksley and No Blue Manna and a sixth with Smooth Crusa last year.

Drawn ideally in barriers one and two are Kinneys Gold and the in-form Arma Harris coming off two successive victories – both worth keeping an eye on for a place here.

The 2010 Governor’s Cup is scheduled as race seven on the night’s cracker ten race card and is programmed to start at 8:45pm.

2010 Governors Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw:

Starting at odds of $10.90, the Gary Hall-trained Talk To Me Courage defeated roughie Spiritwithin ($54.30) by a head with Halls’ other runner Spirit Of Shard ($16) over 3.5m back for third.

The win gave champion horseman Gary Hall his fourth Lord Mayor’s Cup. He has previously won with Tricky Bey (1994), Abit Rich (1997) and Live To Reign (2007).

The clear pre-race favourite Has The Answers ($1.40) had a disappointing finish in ninth place after tiering in the final strides. The Tony Svilicich-trained gelding began brilliantly on the outside, showing sensational gate speed from barrier nine.

A fast tempo saw Has The Answers unable to cross to the front and it was Harvey Cup winner Tealsby Karita ($7.80) who charged to the lead by 2m, setting the pace after 400m, while Has The Answers sat second on the outside.

Talk To Me Courage, driven by reinsman Shane Cramp, was well back early on. Coming into the turn with just over two laps to go Has The Answers sat up on the outside of the leader Tealsby Karita, who with Gary Hall Jnr. behind the reigns controlled the race. Talk To Me Courage sat back in second last while eventual third-placegetter Spirit Of Shard was in last position.

Coming into the home turn after a 29.9s first quarter Tealsby Karita still held the lead by 2.5m with one lap to go. The second quarter was run in 28.8s, with little movement regarding positions, Talk To Me Courage still sitting in second last at this stage.

Talk To Me Courage then masterfully weaved his way through the traffic after a sharp 28.5 third quarter. In the final quarter Has The Answers got into the lead by a nose as Tealsby Karita started to drop back with 300m to go, before Spiritwithin raced up on the outside and hit the front.

Driven by Aldo Cortopassi, Spiritwithin was still in front by over a length with only 30m to go but then Talk To Me Courage started to fly through, pulling out a brilliant late burst of acceleration to snatch the win from Spiritwithin with the winner’s stablemate Spirit Of Shard finishing third wide out.

Pacemaker Tealsby Karita ended up finishing fifth behind Lively Royce in fourth.

Talk To Me Courage ran a scintillating mile rate of 1:57.8 on Friday night, slashing the previous Lord Mayor’s Cup record of 1:58.8 set by Rite in 1984.

A Courage Under Fire gelding, Talk To Me Courage has now won 17 of their 55 career starts for over $195 600 in prizemoney.

2010 Lord Mayor’s Cup Results:

A great line-up of 11 pacers are engaged in the event including Talk To Me Courage, Has The Answers and Tealsby Karita.

Last week’s Harvey Cup runner up Talk To Me Courage is trained by prolific horseman Gary Hall Snr. and has drawn barrier eight for Friday night.

Hall also has his consistent eight-year-old pacer Spirit Of Shard starting in five as the trainer goes for his fourth Lord Mayor’s Cup following his wins with Tricky Bey (2994), Abit Rich (1997) and Live To Reign (2007).

Winner of the Harvey Cup last-start is Tealsby Karita, the impressive gelding starting in six for the Lord Mayor’s Cup.

There is a lot of hype surrounding the Tony Svilicich-trained Has The Answers drawn in barrier nine, who is likely to starts as the pre-race favourite.

Coming off two successive victories and definitely in top form, the terrific seven-year-old Legacy Of Power gelding will have champion driver Chris Lewis behind the reins in the Cup as Lewis attempts his incredible ninth victory in the event.

Lewis has previously won with the brilliant Village Kid (1985, 1986, 1989 & 1990), Ballantines (1992), Desert Patrol (1993), Royal Motoring (1998) and Ohoka Ace (2005).

Byford trainer Svilicich also boasts an impressive record in the Lord Mayor’s Cup, having taken out two of the past three and prepared the runner-up in the other.

Svilichich’s past two winners were driven by Morgan Woodley when they were successful with Taihape Tickler (2006) and Mysta Magical Mach (2009).

Morgan Woodley will be the reinsman behind Flaming Roadstar this year from the back barrier 11.

Solid pacer Rostriever Ornum, drawn ideally in barrier three, is also representing Svilicich in the Lord Mayor’s Cup on Friday.

The Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup is scheduled as race seven on the night’s bumper 11-event card and is due to jump at 8:45pm (WA time).

2010 Lord Mayor’s Cup Final Field & Preview:

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: