News Article

Stars Converge On Ballarat

25 January 2010

Mister Swinger and Mr Feelgood, last year's first and second placegetters, are among the entries for this year's Ballarat Cup

Mister Swinger and Mr Feelgood, last year's first and second placegetters, are among the entries for this year's Ballarat Cup

Five Barastoc Grand Circuit winners headline the list of nominations for the feature race on the opening weekend of the 2010 Sky Racing Nights Of Glory.

Be Good Johnny, Mister Swinger, Mister Zion, Mr Feelgood and Smoken Up are the elite-level winners among 23 entries for Saturday night's $125,000 PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup.
Top sit-sprinter Mister Swinger and Hunter Cup-Inter Dominion winner Mr Feelgood are back after running first and second in last year's 2710-metre mobile event.
Smoken Up will be out to go one better than a hat-trick of Grand Circuit second placings, dual Miracle Mile winner Be Good Johnny returns to Victoria and Mister Zion will have his first run since his SA Cup on January 9.
Adding to the depth of Saturday night's race are popular New South Wales millionaire Karloo Mick and last-start Bendigo Cup winner Sammy Maguire, while Kiwi raiders Bondy and Our Awesome Armbro are also entered.
Acceptances close at 8.30am on Wednesday with the barrier draw to follow immediately after live on Sport 927.
The PETstock Ballarat Cup card is the second night of a huge opening weekend of the Sky Racing Nights Of Glory, which begins at Tabcorp Park on Friday evening.
Highlight of that nine-race program are three Alabar Victoria Derby heats seeping with talent.
Only bad luck looks like stopping Queensland gun Lanercost, a winner of 10 of his 12 starts, achieving the top-four finish that will secure him a spot in the final after coming up with the coveted inside alley in the first heat (at 8.42pm).
The Banana Benders also have a strong hand in the second heat, at 9.12pm, with For A Reason (five) and Major Bronski (seven) drawing the front row in a qualifier where Group 1 winner Grinnersawinner is the highest-profile local.
The third heat, at 9.42pm, features the John Tapp-trained Chariot King, but he has barrier 11 to contend with in a qualifier including ever-improving local colt Master Joy (four) and highly-rated Kiwi, Lincoln Royal (six).
The $200,000 Group 1 Derby final will be run at Moonee Valley on the final night of harness racing - Saturday night, February 6.