A top mare and a red-hot rival from the state’s leading stable charged their way into the Tasco Petroleum Mildura Pacing Cup Final on Tuesday night.

Tay Tay, prepared and driven by Alex Ashwood, produced a tough death seat performance to win the evening’s first heat before Kerryn Manning teamed up with Emma Stewart’s Cant Top This for a cosy victory in the second qualifier.

While the end result was ultimately the same, Tay Tay and Cant Top This prevailed in vastly different circumstances.

With a pedestrian lead time of 80.6sec, Serg Blanco was able to control the early stages of the opening heat before Ashwood and Tay Tay came around to sit parked from their back row draw. Then, with the speed still sedate, Tayla French and Nationaldraft made a lightning burst around the field and took the front down the back the second time.

This pocketed Serg Blanco for the last lap and allowed Tay Tay to get enough of a break on him entering the home straight to hold on and win by just under two metres. Serg Blanco got clear late and surged into second, with Kowalski Analysis grabbing third from his spot in the one-one.

In the end, the field recorded a mile rate of 2:03.6 for the 2600m trip.

This was bettered by almost five seconds a short time later when Cant Top This sat back off a hot tempo and watched a number of moves play out in front of him before rounding up his rivals three-wide through the last lap.

He wore down a brave Helluva to win by 2.4m, with Curly James - who was posted for a significant period early in the race before finding the front - battling on for third.

The overall mile rate was 1:58.7 after a slick lead time of 71.9sec.

The top five place-getters in each heat qualify for Saturday night’s $60,000 final, which is the highlight of the three-day carnival in the Sunraysia.

MILDURA PACING CUP FINAL

Dhaulagiri, Cutty Sark (emerg), Serg Blanco, Western Sonador, Kowalski Analysis, Curly James, Helluva, Cant Top This, Sahara Tiger, Bulletproof Boy, Tay Tay.

Picture: Mildura Harness Racing Club

HEAT 1:

HEAT 2: