RACE 1Mark Pegus made the most of a late pick-up ride to open Ballarat Cup Day with a win.Pegus replaced Nicholas Hall and duly won on the Bendigo-trained Rhodes Scholar in the $20,000 Ballarat Come To Life Maiden, 1600 metres.Rhodes Scholar scored by a head over Venue, with the Darren Weir-trained Undiscovered fading for third after getting to the lead at the top of the home straight.It continues a frustrating run for the connections of Undiscovered, which has now had six seconds and four thirds in 11 career starts.He has been sent out favourite in his past four starts.RACE 2BALLARAT Cup Day is never quite the same when Robert Smerdon is not saddling up a winner.Smerdon claimed the 1996 Ballarat Cup with McGuane.While he has not been able to repeat the dose since, the Caulfield/Ballarat-based Smerdon has more often than not found himself in the winners’ stall in support races on the day.Vals Boy put him there again in the $20,000 Thomas Jewellers Maiden, 1000m.Having just his second race start, Vals Boy made the running before charging away by more than three lengths from Undeniably, with Let’s Be Happy another two lengths away third.Stable apprentice jockey Jack Hill had the winning ride.Smerdon said Vals Boy “got lost’’ when fourth on debut at Kyneton on November 4.RACE 3ISTHISTHEONE might have provided the first omen for the day when looking towards to the Ballarat Cup.The similarly named, but in no way related Istheone is one of the top fancies in the Ballarat Cup at 4pm.Trained by Greg Eurell at Cranbourne, Isthistheone charged to victory on debut in the $20,000 Man To Man Menswear Three-Year-Old Maiden, 1200m.Super Swell came from back in the field to get second, with Power Plant – a $750,000 yearling - took third after looking a chance after turning for home.The Simon Morrish-trained Equal Rights was scratched at the barrier.RACE 4JOCKEY Dan Nikolic knows what winning on Ballarat Cup Day is all about.He saluted on Bottocchi in the 1997 Ballarat Cup.Nikolic was aboard Harkaway, which won the $20,000 Tracy The Placement People 0-68 Handicap, 1200m – the fourth event on today's cup program.The four-year-old is trained by John Moloney at Caulfield.He also prepared Harkaway’s mother Dolphin Dance.Stormulator flashed down the middle of the track to get second, with Toronto Star running another minor placings in third.RACE 5INTELLIGENTSIA ran her rivals off their legs to land the money in the $20,000 James and Son 0-68 Handicap for fillies and mares, 1400m.Daringly ridden by Sebastian Murphy, Intellegentsia opened up a midrace lead of about 10 lengths and never at any stage looked like being caught.Although tiring, the four-year-old still had two lengths to spare on the line from Epic Journey, with Tuscan Image third.Intelligentsia is trained at Caulfield by Ross McDonald, of Weekend Hussler fame.The win continues the great run Murphy has had since returning to race riding about a month ago.He was the off the scene for about 14 months and has eased himself back via the country cicruit.RACE 6TONY VASIL made it a double for Aquanita Racing with the impressive True Tales in the $70,000 Myer Fashions on the Field Handicap, 1200 metres.Robert Smerdon won for the Caulfield/Ballarat operation with Vals Boy in the Thomas Jewellers Maiden, 1000m, earlier in the day.True Tales had not raced since a winter campaign in Queensland, but had won first-up previously and charged home to swamp Going Spending and Juggle The Books in a blanket finish.The four-year-old has now won six of 12 starts for $150,000 stakes.RACE 7CAULFIELD trainer Tony Vasil completed a running double with De Fine Lago in the $50,000 Regent Cinemas Gold Class 0-78 Handicap, 2200m.De Fine Lago almost doubled his earnings to $65,000 with his fourth lifetime win at start number 13.This gives Aquanita Racing, which has its Victorian stables at Caulfield and Ballarat, three wins for the day.Robert Smerdon has also had success.The Zeebac held down second after leading , while top weight Ship In The Night finished third – paving the way for the running of the Ballarat Cup.RACE 8 FLEMINGTON trainer Mark Kavanagh has capped off a huge spring taking out the Ballarat Cup with Itstheone.Kerrin McEvoy guided Itstheone to victory over New Zealander Gallions Reach and Caufield-trained Davcon.Last year's winner Daka's Gem finished fourth.Slyven O'Reilly was the first Ballarat-trained to finish in seventh position.The Damien Hunter-trained Speak Of The Devil was a late scratching.Itstheone has strong Ballarat connections.McEvoy is married to former Ballarat jockey Cathy Payne, while Ballarat's Matthew Conduit is a part-owner.RACE 9 TWO starts for two wins.That’s the record in Ballarat for Cranbourne galloper The Red Emperor after snaring the $45,000 B&D Technologies 0-72 Handicap, 1600m.For The Red Emporer, it was easily the biggest win of his career.Ridden by Craig Newitt, the four-year-old has won three of 10 starts for $60,000 stakes.Struckbyait was second, with Viallico third.One to go.RACE 10 BALLARAT Cup Day finished on a high for Ballarat trainer Terry Kelly, with Ransom Willy racing away with the $50,000 James and Son 0-68 Handicap, for fillies and mjares, 1400m.Raced by Ballarat Turf Club committeeman Tim Porter, Ransom Willy gave nothing else a chance over the closing stages.This gives Ransom Willy three wins in eight starts in Ballarat.