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:

Top trainer Chris Lang took out the quinella with Go Ahead Makemyday ($6) beating home stablemate Ten Commanders ($3.70) by a mere neck, with My Mate Claudy ($14.70) finishing third a distant 17m back.

Go Ahead Makemyday and Ten Commanders were both heat winners leading up to the final.

Chris Lang drove runner-up Ten Commanders who despite a slow start had a good run and was in front on the final turn.

Pre-race favourite, the Michael Marais trained and driven Jacob Oram ($2.20) had a bad start from barrier five but made up ground and was close on the heels of Ten Commanders at the bell.

Ten Commanders still held the lead coming into the home stretch before Go Ahead Makemyday with reinsman Chris Lang Junior made their move on the inside and the stablemates battled head to head down the final metres with Go Ahead Makemyday just pulling away in the end for the win.

The favourite, Jacob Oram dropped off just before the final turn, loosing pace and position to finish a disappointing seventh.

Lang had a sensational weekend, having secured his top two pacers Skyvalley and Sundons Gift in the Inter Dominion Championship final through the semis on Saturday at Ballarat.

The other highlight at the Wedderburn Harness Racing Club’s meeting was the Group 3 Central Victorian Pacing Championship Final, won by Gavin Lang’s $1.90 favourite Im Outtahere.

2010 Central Victorian Trotting Championship Results:

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:

Trained and driven by Gavin Lang, Don King started the race as the $2 favourite and went on to win just a head in front of Acacia Ridge ($12.20) who led on the outside right until the final meters, with Lang’s other consistent trotter, Save A Sixpence ($4.40) driven by Lang’s son Chris, finishing off the trifecta in third. Save A Sixpence has now placed in five Group 1 finals.

Don King ran a sharp mile rate of 2:04.6 in his first Group 1 victory, a career best for the six-year-old Sundown gelding, and brought his impressive career record to 15 wins from 25 starts, eight from nine this season.

Saturday’s victory has ensured Don King with a spot in the SEW-Eurodrive Inter Dominion Trotting Championship that begins on January 30 at Ballarat, where the talented trotter will come up with top-line rivals including Sundons Gift and Skyvalley.

The other anticipated feature events of the meeting were the $25 000 Harness Breeders VIC Gold Chalice, $20 000 SEW-Eurodrive New Year Sprint and the $20 000 Harness Breeders VIC Richmond Lass. The Wayne Potter-trained Morgan Abby took out the Gold Chalice, securing her third win from four starts this season.

2010 V L Dullard Trotters Cup Final Results: