Harness Racing / Andy Morris / 23 January 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now

Mysta Magical Mach should be the one to follow for the $125,000 Australian Pacing Championship at Gloucester Park on Friday, writes Andy Morris.

The New Zealand-bread four-year-old is a real superstar of the track, as he proved last week.

He stormed home from 12th with a lap to travel to win at 12/1 in the last stride from millionaire pacer Divisive in the WA Pacing Cup over 2536m. He has proved the find of the Summer Carnival by winning five of his last six starts, including the Christmas Gift and Fremantle Cup Consolation.

He has been drawn in seven for the race, and will not worry reinsman Morgan Woodley if he is not involved until the latter stages.

It has been a dramatic rise to prominence for the son of Mach Three, who barely a month ago was an M0-class pacer and metropolitan maiden. But since then he has accumulated more than $314,000 in prizemoney, providing a tremendous result for 62-year-old Byford trainer Tony Svilicich and his connections who paid just $130,000 for him two months ago.

The 20-year-old Woodley has proved an adept reinsman, having exploded onto the WA pacing scene in the past two years.

A major danger is classy five-year-old Washakie, who has drawn barrier three and carries trainer Gary Hall Snr's hopes of winning the Group 1 race for a fifth time.

The trainer believes Washakie is his best hope of winning this time, though he also has Spirit of Shard out of barrier nine, just outside Scruffy Murphy who has transferred to his stable in the past week. Scruffy Murphy scored his 39th win in the Channel Nine Handicap on January 2, taking his stake earnings to $485,000.

Fleur De Lil ran a close fourth in the Pacing Cup last week, and has decent chances after drawing barrier one. Trainer Luke McCarthy is set to give her a crack at the lead early in the race after having made a tactical error last time out

Lively Royce has an ideal barrier for the race, as well as a remarkable record in 2130m events. He has scored three successive wins, the latest being last Friday's Cup consolation where he charged home from 12th at the bell.

The gelding has won 11 of his 18 starts in WA, and is a very versatile prospect who has led from the outset in only three of his wins.