Since Ballarat and District Trotting Club first ran the feature in 1971 there has been a series of relatives - fathers and sons, brothers, uncle and nephews, and in-laws - taste success.

Don and Stephen Dove were the first father and son to each drive winners.

Don trained and drove Monara to success in 1972 and Stephen had the first of three Cup wins in the cart in 1984 on Thor Lobell, trained by his father-in-law Bob Knight.

Stephen Dove's other winning drives were on The Unicorn in 1993 and Sinbad Bay, which he also trained, in 1996.

Bob and Vin Knight are the most successful father-son combination in Ballarat Pacing Cup history.

They shared five victories - 1981 Kotare Knight, 1983 Popular Alm, 1988 Bag Limit, 1989 Sir Reilly and 1991 Sinbad Bay.

No other driver has had acheived this feat, while Bob Knight trained a sixth in Thor Lobell.

ON the theme of father and sons, Graeme and Gavin Lang each have two winning Cup drivers to the their name.

Graeme won on Kamwood Lad in 1980 and Imathreat in 1986.

Son Gavin had to wait a little longer - 1996 Robin Hood and 2014 Restrepo.

Then there's been Brian and Matthew Gath.

Brian has four to his name - 1982 Doubter, 1992 No Identity, 1997 Whale Of A Tale and 2008 Safari.

Matthew steered home Harley hanover, trained by his father, in 1998.

Other family ties include:

Emma Stewart (Safari and Restrepo) and her partner Clayton Tonkin's father Peter with Robin Hood.

Mark Purdon has trained five winners 2012 Highview Tommy, 2016 and 2017 Smolda, 2018 Heaven Rocks and 2019 Thefixer.

He has driven Highview Tommy and Smolda (2016), while his partner Natalie Rasmussen has driven Heaven Rocks in 2018 and Thefixer in 2019 to success.

Terang cousins Kerry and Bruce Clarke have saluted.

Kerry won on Sporting Son in 1975 and Bruce on the legendary Gammalite in 1985.

NSW uncle and nephew Brian and Darren Hancock also took their turns.

Brian won on Our Sir Vancelot in 1998 and Darren on Jofess in 2003.

THIS list could be added to in Saturday night's PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup.

Bendigo-based Glenn Douglas has an opporunity to join his brother as a winning reinsman of the race.

When at the height of his driving career, Daryl Douglas - he drove more than 100 winners in a season for 16 straight years from 1998-99 - landed the money with Sting Lika Bee in 2007.

Glenn Douglas has the steer on Torrid Saint, trained by his wife Julie. He is a son of veteran horseman Keith Douglas and grew up in Ballarat.

Victorian-based New Zealander Nathan Purdon can join his father Mark as a winning trainer, and trainer Andy Gath can join his uncle Brian Gath and cousin Matthew Gath on the honour roll.

Purdon has Amazing Dream engaged and Gath is sending around Tango Tara.

KATE Gath (Tango Tara) and Jodi Quinlan (Demon Delight) are attempting to become the fourth female driver to win the $110,000 group 1 feature.

Now South Australian-based Gaita Pullicino was the first with You Wish 1995.

Then followed Kerryn Manning with Lombo Rapida in 2000, and Natalie Rasmussen on Heaven Rocks in 2018 and Thefixer in 2019.

LOCHINVAR Art is a red-hot favourite to become the second back-to-back winner of the Ballarat Pacing Cup.

Smolda became the first 2016 and 2017.

Sinbad Bay is the only other two-time winner, five years apart in 1991 and 1996.

With injury having intervened, this will be just Lochinvar Art's third start since he won the Cup last year.

It will be his second run from the break, having run a brave second to Spirit Of St Louis in the Shepparton Gold Cup a week ago.

DAVID Moran, the trainer-driver of Lochinvar Art, is one of a handful of past winners engaged in Saturday night's Cup.

Others:

+ Chris Alford (reinsman): Im Corzin Terror 2014

+ Greg Sugars (reinsman): AG White Socks 2020

+ Anthony Butt (reinsman): Stunnin Cullen 2011, Mah Sish 2013, Smolda 2017

+ Geoff Webster (trainer-driver): Mister Swinger 2009

+ Emma Stewart (trainer): Safari 2008, Restrepo 2014

MY Uncle Sam is making remarkable fourth appearance in a Ballarat Pacing Cup.

The NSW visitor, trained by Chris Frisby, has raced at Bray Raceway five times.

He first visited Ballarat as a two-year-old in 2016 and returned three seasons later for an Inter Dominion heat in 2018. While he finished well down the track that night, he went on to run second in the final.

Our Uncle Sam stayed on his Victoria, going on run fifth in the 2019 Ballarat Cup.

He returned to finish fourth in 2020 and had no luck when at the tail of the field last year.

The eight-year-old has drawn badly on the second row, but the veteran of 116 starts has the toughness to make his own luck.

BALLARAT mare Im Ready Jet will be attempting to keep her ascendancy in the Aurora Australis Series when she lines up in the group 2 $30,000 EB Cochran Cup - the main support event on the nine-race program - in Ballarat on Saturday night.

Trained by Anton Golino at Cardigan, Im Ready Jet is the early leader in the trotters' series after winning the first leg, the group 1 Maori Mile at Bendigo.

Golino has twice won the Cochran Cup - My Tribeca in 2018 and Dance Craze in 2020.