Eight quality squaregaiters are engaged in the 2575m standing start event including last start winner Armed Guard.

Due to be driven by Christopher Shinn, the Monarchy gelding has drawn ideally with barrier one for Sunday.

Drawn on the direct outside of Armed Guard in barrier two is the Daryl Woolcock-trained Pepperell Dancer, competing in the Bruce Skeggs Trotters Cup for his third consecutive year. In 2008 the son of A Go Go Lauxmont claimed victory in the event before placing a gallant second to Just Glorious the next year.

Pepperell Dancer is competing in his third consecutive Bruce Skeggs Trotters Cup

Talented runners Ronerail and Gary Hoban’s Acacia Ridge, coming off a gallant last start fourth in the Group 3 Maori’s Idol Memorial behind Sundons Gift, will start from a 20m and 30m handicap respectively, but are still two of the highest rated chances in the Bruce Skeggs Trotters Cup.

Legendary horseman Lance Justice has his veteran Earl gelding Earl Of Mot starting from barrier five while the Clinton Welsh-trained and driven Red Samurai is in barrier four.

The 2010 Bruce Skeggs Trotters Cup is scheduled as race seven, the closing race at Cranbourne on Sunday, and is due to jump at 4:50pm.

2010 Bruce Skeggs Trotters Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

The brilliant Sundons Gift started the 2010 Maori’s Idol Memorial as the clear favourite at $1.30 and didn’t disappoint once again as he beat home stablemate Kyvalley Mac ($21.40) by 3.7m, giving Lang the quinella.

Long-priced outsider Look Here Bloke ($75.60) finished a further 2.9m back in a desperate fight for third, beating Acacia Ridge ($28.10) by a fraction to the line.

The win gave dual Inter Dominion champion Sundons Gift back-to-back success in the Maori’s Idol Memorial

The win gave dual Inter Dominion champion Sundons Gift back-to-back success in the Maori’s Idol Memorial after he claimed victory there last year.

After starting from a poor back row barrier, eight-year-old Sundons Gift and Lang worked their way up the field and were sitting three wide and one back at the bell. They sat on the back of Joe Bro, installed as the $7.70 second favourite, and had a dream run.

While Joe Bro faded to finish sixth 8.7m back from the winner, with 300m to go Sundons Gift charged into the lead, sailing past his rivals for the win.

Sundons Gift ran a mile rate of 2:00.3 in Friday night’s victory, which was his 31^st win from 59 career starts, his fifth in succession. The impressive Sundon gelding has now earned over $830, 670 in prizemoney making him the third highest earning trotter in Australasia.

Sundons Gift was ridden by Lang’s son Chris Jnr. who boasts an unbeaten record driving the star, having won eight from eight.

2010 Maoris Idol Memorial Results:

12 top trotters are engaged in the testing 2240m, headlined by Chris Lang’s brilliant and ever consistent gelding Sundons Gift drawn wide in barrier 12.

The outstanding Inter Dominion Trotting Champion is seemingly unstoppable and is coming off a succession of sensational victories including his last-start win in the Group 1 Sunnyfield Trotters Mile.

Last year Sundons Gift claimed victory in both the Inter Dominion and Maori’s Idol Memorial. This year he made it back-to-back Inter Dominion success and on Friday he will look to make it back-to-back wins in the Maori’s Idol too.

Despite the less than ideal barrier draw Sundons Gift will still start as the odds-on favourite and has the speed, ability, form and determination to overcome the wide draw and will be the one to beat.

Lang also has Kyvalley Mac starting in the Maori’s Idol Memorial, the Earl gelding having secured the prized barrier one. Kyvalley Mac will be driven by Ben Gledhill as Lang drives his star Sundons Gift.

Other starters in the trotting feature at the meeting include the Lance Justice trained and driven Earl Of Mot drawn well in barrier two, Graeme Lang’s last start winner Sosoclassy, Joe Bro in barrier six coming off a last start fifth in the Sunnyfiled Trotters Cup, and the Gary Hoban-trained Acacia Ridge out wide in 11.

The M.E. Bell Projects Maori’s Idol Memorial is programmed as race six on the night’s cracker nine-race card and is scheduled to start at 9:12pm (VIC time).

2010 Maori’s Idol Memorial Final Field & Barrier Draw:

The 2010 Sunnyfield Trotters Mile has attracted a star-studded field of 11 horses highlighted by Chris Lang’s brilliant Inter Dominion Trotting Champion Sundons Gift.

Lang will drive Sundons Gift on Sunday afternoon as the in-form trotter goes for his fourth successive race victory, which would be the 30^th of his impressive career.

The experienced and consistent Sundon gelding has drawn ideally in barrier three and will be the one to beat on Sunday.

A top class field of rivals will be out to stop Sundons Gift including Solar Active (br. 2), the Michael Marais-trained Cillas Earl (br.6), Ronerail (br.7), Peter Manning’s recent Terang Trotters Cup winner Joe Bro (br. 9) and Acacia Ridge starting on the far outside from barrier 11.

Another interesting Trotters Mile starter is the Darren Hancock trained and driven Misscshells in barrier two. The Sundon filly has had a substandard strike rate throughout her career winning only eight of her 51 starts but has improved tremendously in the last year and is coming off a string of impressive runs. Having secured the prized barrier one, Misscshells looks a decent chance for a place here at good odds.

The Group 1 Sunnyfield Trotters Mile is scheduled as race five on the afternoon’s dazzling ten event programme and is due to jump at 3:10pm.

2010 NSW Sunnyfield Trotters Mile Final Field & Barrier Draw:

Trained and driven by Chris Lang, last year’s winner Sundons Gift outclassed his rivals once again as the $1.60 favourite beat home shock second placegetter, Queensland-trained Kasyanov ($147) by an easy 9.5m with Lang’s other runner Skyvalley ($5.50) finishing off the trifecta a further 3.8m back.

Improving trotter Cillas Earl ($38) was a close fourth just ahead of Acacia Ridge ($18.70) in fifth.

Sundons Gift showed sensational speed from barrier one to take the lead early, running a first quarter of 29.7s. The third pre-race favourite, Gavin Lang’s Don King ($9.60) was in second place for the first quarter, but went to three wide by the middle before eventually tailing off to finish seventh.

After a 31.8s second quarter, Sundons Gift still held a 3m lead from Don King while eventual second-placegetter Kasyanov moved to the inside.

Running 28.9s over the third quarter Sundons Gift increased his lead on the final turn, running clear from the pack as Don King tiered, slipping back and making way for Kasyanov to move up to second place.

As the leader kept pulling away for a sensational win, his stablemate Skyvalley moved up to third on the outside.

The eight-year-old winning Sundon gelding clocked a smart mile rate of 2:01.0 in his 29^th victory from 57 career starts. The $142 500 in Saturday’s Inter Dominion winnings bought his overall career earnings to $789 673.

With the win Sundons Gift became only the second horse in history to secure back-to-back trotting Inter Dominion Championships, the first since New Zealand runner Pride Of Petite in 1996/1997, and the first Australian bred trotter to achieve the feat.

The victory may have been Sundons Gift’s second, but his trainer went one better as it was Lang’s third successive Inter Dominion win.

Runner-up Kasyanov also made history as the first Queensland trained trotter to not only make the Inter Dominion Grand Final, but place in the top three as well.

The $30 000 Group 2 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Consolation (2575m) was the other major trotting event at the meeting, won by Ronerail ($2.40) 4.7m ahead of Earl Of Mot ($9.50) with Chris Lang’s Kyvalley Mac ($32.40) in third.

2010 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Results:

The barrier draw for the highly anticipated event took place yesterday where the Chris Lang-trained and driven defending Inter Dominion champion Sundons Gift drew the prized barrier one.

The eight-year-old Sundon gelding claimed an emphatic victory in the second semi final last week and will start as the odds-on favourite for the final.

If Sundons Gift succeeds in Saturday’s final he will become just the second horse in history to win successive Inter Dominions alongside Pride Of Petite back in 1997.

Also drawing well was Gary Hoban’s Acacia Ridge. The in-form pacer placed second to Sundons Gift in last week’s final but will have his chance at revenge on Saturday.

Known as a promising fast starter Acacia Ridge, ensuring a good start, is sure to be close on the heels of the favourite all the way.

Chris Lang’s other trotter, Skyvalley, who in a shock defeat placed fifth in semi final one last week has drawn barrier seven.

Cillas Earl, the Michael Marais trained roughie who caused one of harness racings’ biggest upsets when he defeated Skyvalley in the semis, has also had luck with the barrier draw and will start from four.

In fact the entire front row is full of the favourites and those coming off great semi final runs, with the rest of the forward line occupied by Bete Noire in barrier 3, Heyzeal in barrier 5 and the brilliant Don King in barrier six.

The Michelle Manning-trained Bete Noire was the other roughie who had a smashing semi run coming in second behind Cillas Earl.

Heyzeal was the third placegetter in the second semi and Gavin Lang’s Don King, despite running fourth in the semis, is still a top class runner with plenty of ability to do well here.

Kasyanov in barrier nine may be sitting well down in the betting markets for the final, but has already made history being the first Queensland trained trotter to make the final field of an Inter Dominion Grand Final.

The SEW-Eurodrive Inter Dominion Championship is scheduled as race five on the night’s elite and very lucrative 10-race programme, where over $1million in stakes are up for grabs, and is due to jump at 8:02pm (VIC time).

Other highlight harness events at the meeting are the $30 000 Group 3 4YO Bonanza (Race 2 – 6:30pm), the $30 000 Group 2 Inter Dominion Championship Consolation (Race 3 – 7:00pm) and the big ones for the pacing fans will be the $200 000 Group 1 Alabar Victoria Derby Final (Race 6 – 8:32pm) followed by the other Group 1 highlight of the night the $400 000 Group 1 BIG6 Hunter Cup (Race 8 – 9:30pm).

2010 Inter Dominion Final Field & Barrier Draw:

Moonee Valley Race Programme – Saturday 6 February:

In a shock defeat and one of the biggest harness racing upsets in recent years, the highly fancied Chris Lang-trained champion Skyvalley nearly had his Inter Dominion dreams cut short when he only just managed to finish within the required top six to earn a spot in next Saturday’s final.

It was an unexpected finish in the first semi final when seven-year-old Cillas Earl ($25.30), trained and driven by Michael Marais, claimed a lengthy 4.3m victory ahead of extreme long-shot Bete Noire ($82.10) with Solar Active ($41.10) 1.3m further back for third.

Fourth place went to another roughie, Red Samurai ($94.30) who defeated the pre-race favourite at the shortest possible TAB price, $1.04, Skyvalley by 1.5m. It was a strong finish for Red Samurai who sat in last place as they passed the 800 metres.

Five-year-old Skyvalley started sensationally, displaying good speed from gate six. After sitting three wide early, driver Chris Lang Jnr. had the Muscles Yankee colt leading at the bell by nearly 5m. But Skyvalley pulled hard in the lead, running himself ragged after a blistering 29.7 first quarter, which was the fastest of the race.

Skyvalley was then overtaken by Cillas Earl on the final turn and failed to come back or threaten the lead again.

Chris Lang was soon smiling again though, when he took out the second semi with his star Sundons Gift.

The champion eight-year-old Sundon gelding started as the $1.40 favourite and proved why when he ran a great all the way win, defeating early leader Acacia Ridge ($1.90) by 3.2m with Heyzeal a distant third nearly 9m back from the winner.

Second favourite Don King ($5.20) came in fourth followed by Dream A Moment with Kasyanov finishing off the six final qualifiers.

The Grand Final of the Inter Dominion will take place at Moonee Valley this Saturday, February 6, with the barrier draw for the event happening this Tuesday.

Both of the Group 2 status semi finals are worth $40 000 and will determine the final field of top trotters that will line up for the Group 1 final on February 6 at Moonee Valley.

The first semi final is headlined by the Chris Lang-trained Skyvalley in barrier six. The magnificent and highly promising Muscles Yankee colt has displayed some sensational recent form, winning four of his past five starts.

Skyvalley’s regular reinsman, Lang’s son Chris Junior will drive the popular trotter on Saturday night with Skyvalley sure to start as the odds-on favourite.

The Gavin Crone-trained Sunana Asset has drawn the prized inside barrier one, the Sundon colt coming off a last start victory at Albion Park.

And on the other end of the barriers, the Clinton Welsh-trained Red Samurai has drawn the outside barrier after being the last to secure a spot in the series following their win in Ouyen Trotters Cup back on January 15.

Lang, a trainer-driver from Nagambie, also has Sunny Elegant in barrier five while his leading squaregaiter and the defending champion Sundons Gift is engaged in the second semi.

The second semi final features a star studded field, and despite Sundons Gift’s class and proven ability, it will still be a highly competitive and entertaining race as the eight-year-old last start Group 2 E B Cochran Cup winner faces off against the likes of Acacia Ridge and Don King.

Acacia Ridge will be looking to atone for their second to Sundons Gift in the Cochran Cup last week, where despite Acacia Ridge’s favourable barrier two draw, Sundons Gift still managed victory after starting wide from barrier 11.

Still a consistent trotter, Acacia Ridge has drawn barrier five on Saturday and will be driven by trainer Gary Hoban.

Many eyes too will be on the Gavin Lang trained and driven Don King, the imposing gelding shares the same super sire as Sundons Gift, the US bred Sundon. Don King has been on fire recently, storming home to four successive victories and has drawn barrier eight.

Sundons Gift will head the betting markets as the top selection and will be driven by Lang from barrier seven.

All the starters in the second semi will move up a barrier position if the emergency Earl Of Mot, drawn in barrier one, does not gain a start. If this happens, the New Zealand bred In Pursuit will secure the inside running.

Pacing fans will also be treated on the night with the $125 000 Group 1 Ballarat Pacing Cup running as race seven at the action packed meeting.

The Inter Dominion Trotting Championship semis will run as races three (8:03pm) and six (9:30pm) on the night’s bumper nine-event programme.

The eight-year-old son of Sundon started as the warm pre-race favourite at $1.90 and lived up to all expectations when he beat home the second elect Acacia Ridge ($2.80) in the champion square-gaiter’s first start in six weeks.

The bookies had it spot on for the event, as the third favourite starter Armed Guard ($12.20) finished off the trifecta.

The in-form Acacia Ridge showed tremendous gate speed from his front row barrier two setting the pace as the early leader.

On the last lap with 800m to go, Gary Hoban’s Acacia Ridge still held the lead with Sundons Gift second on the outside.

On the home straight it was a battle of the big guns as the two top trotters fought for the Cochran Cup title. Class prevailed in the end as the skilled veteran Sundons Gift eased ahead and crossed the line first by 2.3m.

Trained and driven by Chris Lang, the reigning Australian Trotting Grand Prix champion Sundons Gift clocked an impressive mile rate of 2:03.9 after overcoming his wide barrier to claim victory in the $30 000 feature, bringing his career stakes to over $620 000.

Lang’s other runner, Kyvalley Mac, finished sixth behind Pepperell Dancer with the Michael Marais-trained In Pursuit coming in fourth.

The victory further ensured that Sundons Gift is on track to defend his coveted Inter Dominion Championship title, which kicks off this Saturday with the semi final round at Ballarat.

2010 E B Cochran Trotters Cup Results:

It is a start studded field for the next feature trotting event, with many big names set to line up including the Michael Marais-trained In Pursuit and Chris Lang’s Sundons Gift.

In Pursuit has drawn barrier seven while last month’s Australian Trotting Grand Prix champion Sundon’s Gift has a bit of work to do from the barrier 11.

Despite the wide draw, the prolific Sundon’s Gift is still sure to start as the favourite, the bay gelding the most experienced and highest earning trotter on the field having won nearly $600 000 in prizemoney. He is coming off a last start second place to Skyvalley in the Group 1 Bill Collins Sprint back in December.

Chris Lang also has Kyvalley Mac entered in the 2690m staying event, starting from barrier nine.

Meanwhile, New Zealand bred Armed Guard has secured the inside running with barrier one and will start beside the highly fancied and ever-consistent Acacia Ridge, trained and driven by Gary Hoban.

Acacia Ridge, runner-up to Don King in the Group 1 VL Dullard Cup earlier in the month, is the only horse on the field coming off a last-start victory.

The big pacing event at the meeting is the $50 000 Group 2 Shepparton Gold Cup (race 7) with other highlights of the night including the $25 000 The Lombo 2YO Fillies Final (race 2) and the $25 000 The Lombo 2YO Colts & Geldings Final (race 8).

The EB Cochran Trotters Cup is scheduled as race five on the night’s cracker nine-race programme, set to start at 8:30pm (VIC time).

2010 Cochran Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw: