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:

One of the big names to watch out for is the Gavin Lang-trained Don King starting from barrier three. The ever-improving New Zealand trotter is coming off a sensational string of success, having won seven from eight race starts this season, placing second to In Pursuit in the other. The Sundon gelding has won 14 of his 25 career starts.

Lang, who will drive six-year-old Don King in the event after driving him to a super impressive victory in the heats, also has the 2009 Dullard Cup third placegetter, Save A Sixpence, contesting the Dullard. The consistently good horse, and four time Group 1 placegetter, jumping beside their stablemate from barrier four. Lang co-trains both of the runners, who have been installed as equal favourites in the pre-race betting markets following their favourable barrier draws, with his father Graeme.

Meanwhile, Lance Justice’s Earl Of Mot has secured barrier one in the 2760m standing start event with Dream A Moment, trained and driven by Kerryn Manning, drawing barrier two.

The V L Dullard Trotters Cup falls as race seven on the monster nine-race programme at Tabcorp Park on Friday night and is scheduled to start at 9:40pm (VIC time).

The other highlight race of the night to follow will be race eight, the $25 000 Harness Breeders VIC Gold Chalice at 10:10pm. Pre-post favourite for the Gold Chalice looks to be Lady Belladonna, the Vicbred Super Series and Tabcorp Breeders Crown second placegetter returning to the track following her sensational two-year-old season last year.

Also headlining the programme on Friday night will be the $20 000 SEW-Eurodrive New Year Sprint (1720m) and the $20 000 Harness Breeders VIC Richmond Lass for mares.

Tabcorp Park VIC Race Programme – Friday Night January 8:

V L Dullard Trotters Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw:

Eight-year-old Sundons Gift ($8.70) driven by trainer Chris Lang defeated Will Trapper ($20.30) by just 1.5m with another outsider and local star Save A Sixpence ($23.10) 7.3m back from the winner in third.

Odds-on favourite at $2.30 and stablemate to Sundons Gift, Skyvalley managed fourth while the other highly fancied runner Springbank Richard ($2.40) finished a dismal fifth some 13m from the winner, despite having had the inside run. The poor performance put an end to Skyvalley’s impressive string of six victories.

The victory proved the reigning Inter Dominion champion, Sundons Gift, was back in winning form after placing eight in last week’s Cranbourne Trotters Cup. The bay gelding ran a gross time of 2:45.2 for a sharp mile rate of 1:58.7, which beat Skyvalley’s track record by half a second.

Sundons Gift will start next in the coveted $50 000 Group 1 Bill Collins Trotters Sprint on Friday night.

Other feature trotting events held over the weekend were the $15 000 Yarra Valley Trotters Cup won by ten-year-old Solar Active in Victoria on Friday night. The $10 000 Wedderburn Trotters Cup (2690m) followed at Maryborough on Sunday, where Don King claimed victory for his 12^th win from 22 career starts.

2009 Australian Trotting Grand Prix Results:

Aiming at his third successive victory in the event is the Chris Lang-trained Sundons Gift. The eight-year-old veteran has drawn ideally with barrier three and looks a strong chance to make it a trotting Grand Prix hat-trick. Sundons Gift, the defending Inter Dominion trotting champion, will come up against in-form stablemate Skyvalley on Friday, who is aiming at his seventh consecutive victory. Four-year-old Skyvalley will start from barrier nine following the scratching of first emergency False Gem and it is certain to be an anticipated showdown between Lang’s two boom horses.

Previous Victoria Trotters Derby champion Springbank Richard also drew well and will have the inside running from barrier one. The Kiwi trotter is coming off a last start victory in the Dominion Handicap and will be tough to beat.

Also set to start in the front line are local stars Save A Sixpence (br. 2), Ronerail (br. 4) and last year’s Sky Channel Dullard Cup champion Viva La Fever (br. 7).

Another Kiwi visitor to watch is the up-and-coming squaregaiter In Pursuit (br. 11). The Michael Marias-trained son of Monarchy is a truly emerging talent looking to set himself up as the new trotting champion.

The SEW-Eurodrive Australian Trotting Grand Prix will run as race seven on the night’s nine race programme.

Other feature trotting races taking place around the country this weekend include the $15 000 Yarra Valley Trotters Cup in Victoria on Friday and the $10 000 Wedderburn Trotters Cup at Maryborough on Sunday.

2009 Group 1 Australian Trotting Grand Prix Final Field & Barrier Draw:

The brilliant squaregaiter In Pursuit ($7.90) followed up his excellent win in the Group 3 Chris Howe Trotters Cup last start by claiming victory again ahead of an elite field in 3:32.7.

The bay gelding (by Monarchy out of Going Alone) defeated the $2.30 favourite Don King, ridden by Daryl Douglas, by 11.8m with Save A Sixpence and Graeme Lang a further four meters back in third.

In Pursuit’s trainer Michael Marais now plans to take his rapidly improving trotter to the Victoria Cup Carnival where In Pursuit will come up against star trotter Skyvalley.

The other feature race of the night was the St Arnaud Sporting Cub Pacing Cup (2760m) won by the up-and-coming Victorian harness star Jaccka Clive. The David Aiken-trained winner went out as the clear favourite at $2.40 and proved why by defeating Romeo Castle by 6.2m with Harry Walton in third.

Weirs St Arnaud Supa IGA Trotters Cup Results: