TABtouch-WA Pacing Cup History
16 January, 2019
Harness
This Friday night sees the running of the $450,000 TABtouch-WA Pacing Cup (2936m) at Gloucester Park, the first of seven Grand Circuit Harness races for the calendar year.
First run in 1913, where it was taken out by Letty Lind, the state’s premier race became a part of the Grand Circuit in 1977 where it sits alongside races like the Hunter Cup and Inter Dominion.
Notable winners of the WA Pacing Cup previously include; Pure Steel (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980), San Simeon (1981), Preux Chevalier (1984), Village Kid (1985, 1986, 1988, 1989), The Falcon Strike (2002, 2004, 2005), Im Themightyquinn (2011, 2012, 2013) and My Hard Copy (2015, 2016).
Friday night will mark the 90th time the WA Pacing Cup has been run at Gloucester Park, after the first 16 editions of the race were run at the WACA Ground.
Soho Tribeca took out last year’s WA Pacing Cup for reinsman Kim Prentice and trainer Bryan Cousins.
Soho Tribeca’s win in last year’s Pacing Cup broke a run of seven straight wins in the race for champion trainer Gary Hall Snr.
Hall Snr has been the dominant figure in the WA Pacing Cup over the past two decades, winning 11 of the past 17 editions of the race.
This year, his sole runner in the race is Runrunjimmydunn, to be driven by Clinton Hall, a winner of three Pacing Cups himself.
Gary Hall Jnr has been a big beneficiary of his father’s dominance in the race, winning it on seven occasions.
As he did in the Fremantle Cup last week, Hall Jnr has elected to team up with the Justin Prentice-trained Rocknroll Lincoln in this week’s feature.
My Field Marshal is once again the favourite to take out the WA Pacing Cup, as he was in the Village Kid Pace and Fremantle Cup.
The last horse to win the Village Kid, Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup in the one year was The Falcon Strike in season 2003/2004.
Chicago Bull was the most recent horse to claim the Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup in the one season, one of eight times since 1988 a pacer has achieved that feat.
Maczaffair, the sole mare in this week’s WA Pacing Cup, will be looking to become 20th mare to win the race and the first since 1972.
The TABtouch-WA Pacing Cup gets underway at 7.55 on Friday night.
Tim Walker