Red Samurai ($17.90) beat home Ronerail ($4.90) by 3.4m with Armed Guard ($5.60) just over 1.5m back in third.

Acacia Ridge, who started the race as the warm $2.70 favourite, started well but had a disappointing finish coming in last. The Gary Hoban-trained gelding will be stood down for two weeks following a vets’ examination after the race.

In the final lap as they turned out of the straight Red Samurai sat dead last with 800m left to travel. Dream A Moment was the leader at the bell a head in front of Acacia Ridge.

On the back straight with 400m to go the field bunched closer together ready for the final sprint.

Dream A Moment and Acacia Ridge still held the lead, but Ronerail came from the back of the pack to race out three wide and move up quickly towards the front.

Into the final straight Ronerail loomed up and got their head in front of Acacia Ridge, but Red Samurai, who until the final 200m was sitting at the tail end of the field, began to accelerate chasing the lead.

Red Samurai came from dead last to claim victory in a thrilling final few meters

Acacia Ridge faded in the closing stages and broke half way up the straight, as Red Samurai came from last to claim victory ahead of Ronerail with Armed Guard holding on for third.

A son of boom sire Sundon, Red Samurai has now claimed victory in 18 of his 85 career starts for prizemoney of over $122, 000.

2010 Bruce Skeggs Trotters Cup Results:

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

Armed Guard ($5) defeated Maori’s Idol Memorial third placegetter Look Here Bloke ($6.90) by 2.6m with Lord Of The Gym ($8.7) a further 5.9m back in third.

It was a disappointing finish for trainer driver Geoff Webster and his odds-on favourite Millburn Michael ($3.10) who was a well-beaten sixth after being held up at the start and unable to make up the ground.

The $10, 000 Gunbower Trotters Cup (2530m) was the other feature trotting event run over the weekend, won by classy mare Sharendoo Lass ($8.60) in an all-the-way win at Echuca on Sunday.

The six-year-old Wind Cries Maori mare made the most of their inside draw and beat home the Chris Lang-trained and driven Kyvalley Mirage ($6.40) by 6.4m with roughie Ollie Nova ($41) a fast finishing third.

Again it was an unlucky finish for the pre-race favourite with Thepowerofhealing ($1.8) coming in fourth after being forced to race out wide.

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: