The road to TAB Inter Dominion finals qualification has become slightly clearer with the barriers drawn for night one of the series, which kicks off on Saturday.
Pacing favourite King Of Swing's claims have only strengthened with a gate four draw in the first of three pacing heats, scheduled for 8.43pm at Tabcorp Park Menangle, while Victorian trotter Pink Galahs plucked a peach of a gate for her ID21 debut.
There were few favours for Victorian-trained pacers, who were largely drawn on the second row, including David Aiken's pair Reactor Now and Max Delight, who respectively drew gates 11 and 13 in heats one and two.
Their stablemate Malcolms Rhythm was drawn in the third heat in gate five, which will likely become four providing second emergency Pitch Perfect fails to get a start.
Should that occur fellow Victorian, Western Sonador, would start on his back from gate 12 for co-trainers Stephen O'Donoghue and Rebecca Bartley, with the latter chasing a fourth Inter Dominion final start following her previous success with San Carlo.
Also in their heat is the Victorian entrant considered most likely to claim the crown, Triple Eight (pictured), who drew inside the back row (gate nine) for trainer Jess Tubbs and reinsman Greg Sugars. That will likely have him starting on the back of Ellmers Image providing the aforementioned emergency is scratched.
TAB INTER DOMINION PACING CHAMPIONSHIP
HEAT ONE
1: OUR UNCLE SAM > 9: PITCH PERFECT (Em 2)
2: ZEUSS BROMAC > 10: SICARIO (Em 3)
3: BUNDORAN > 11: REACTOR NOW
4: KING OF SWING > 12: PUMP THE BRAKES
5: MAJESTIC CRUISER > 13: BURNHAM BOY
6: ARDEN MESSI (Em 1) > 14: IGNATIUS
7: ROYAL GAMBLE > 15: MACH DAN
8: BONCEL BENJAMIN
HEAT TWO
1: APHORISM > 9: RUSTY CRACKERS
2: MAKE MINE MEMPHIS > 10: CANT REFUSE
3: ALTA ORLANDO > 11: BALRAJ
4: PITCH PERFECT (Em 2) > 12: EXPENSIVE EGO
5: ROBYNS PLAYBOY > 13: MAX DELIGHT
6: ROCKIN MARTY > 14: SICARIO (Em 3)
7: ARDEN MESSI (Em 1) > 15: MACH DA VINCI
8: APLINE STRIDE
HEAT THREE
1: PITCH PERFECT (Em 2) > 9: TRIPLE EIGHT
2: ELLMERS IMAGE > 10: BRIGHT ENERGY
3: SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS > 11: POCKET OF TERROR
4: ATOMIC RED > 12: WESTERN SONADOR
5: MALCOLMS RHYTHM > 13: LINE UP
6: ARDEN MESSI (Em 1) > 14: SICARIO (Em 3)
7: I CAST NO SHADOW > 15: THE BLACK PRINCE
8: LOORRIM LAKE
Brent Lilley's Sicario is third emergency for the pacing series but the Bolinda trainer figures prominently in the trotting, with Gil Favor to start from the widest front row draw in the opening heat at 10.23pm and Kyvalley Chief (gate nine) and Robbie Royale (gate 11) drawn the second row in the other heat.
For Kyvalley Chief a points haul could be on the cards having drawn directly behind highly rated Victorian Pink Galahs, with Matt Craven's brilliant mare given the perfect launching pad for her series via a gate one draw in heat two.
Craven also has Lotamuscle, who has drawn gate 10 in heat one, directly inside Emmett and Richard Brosnan's highly-rated Maori Law (gate 11). They will likely start in gates nine and 10 respectively, with Brian Kiesey's Gentleman Sir - the first ermegency - on their inside.
The Victorian-trained presence is considerable in the first heat, also encompassing Tony Peacock's Illawong Stardust (gate one) and Michael Hughes' Just Believe (gate three), with the pair separated by series favourite Majestic Man, who will be steered by Anthony Butt for trainer Phil Williamson.
On their outside are Marg Lee's Keayang Livana (gate six), Ray Harvey's The Penny Drops (gate seven) and Lilley's Gil Favor (gate eight), with Victorian-trained entrants accounting for five across the front row and eight of the heat's 14 entrants.
In addition to the emergency, there are four Victorian-trained trotters in the second of the heats, with Pink Galahs joined by Lilley's back row pair Kyvalley Chief and Robbie Royal, while Aiken's Aldebaran Crescent (gate three) completes the southern assault.
TAB INTER DOMINION TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP
HEAT ONE
1: ILLAWONG STARDUST > 9: GENTLEMAN SIR (Em 1)
2: MAJESTIC MAN > 10: LOTAMUSCLE
3: JUST BELIEVE > 11: MAORI LAW
4: REVY JAY > 12: FUNKY MONKEY
5: SALLY EM (Em 2) > 13: INDEFENSIBLE
6: KEAYANG LIVANA > 14: ONE MAJOR KENNY
7: THE PENNY DROPS
8: GIL FAVOR
HEAT TWO
1: PINK GALAHS > 9: KYVALLEY CHIEF
2: TIMOTHY RED > 10: ENHANCE YOUR CALM
3: ALDEBARAN CRESCENT > 11: ROBBIE ROYALE
4: EMPIRE BAY > 12: SALLY EM (Em 2)
5: CALIGULA > 13: RED CASTLETON
6: TOUGH MONARCH > 14: GENTLEMAN SIR (Em 1)
7: HUMBLE LADD
8: GIMONDI
READ MORE: McCarthy whitewash on cards in Inter Dominion night one
STAY TUNED: TrotStars returns for ID21! All revealed tomorrow at thetrots.com.au