“Of course, in a lot of other provinces, the first Monday of August is considered to be a civic holiday, but not so here...Typically, most support Gold Cup and Saucer Day, which happens to be the Friday of Old Home Week.”

The Gold Cup & Saucer is the biggest race in Atlantic Canadian harness racing, and Old Home Week provides the ultimate build to the region's most celebrated race. The 2022 edition of the race boasts a six-figure purse of $100,000 for the first time its 60-plus year history, attracting a strong field of 22 horses split into three fields of trials.

“It’s a hard race to win,” three-time Gold Cup and Saucer winner Marc Campbell told CTV News. “It’s so competitive. You have one time of year to win it and so many things can happen. There’s seven other guys out there, eight other guys some nights, trying to win that same race that have been wanting to win it since they were a little kid too.”

Campbell, whose previous wins came with Escape The News, Take It Back Terry and Time To Dance, returns this year with two contenders from his own barn — Time To Dance and Ys Mathis — while also getting the call to drive Major Hill on Saturday.

This year's trials have also attracted some of the continent's top drivers with Maritime natives James MacDonald, Jody Jamieson and Wally Hennessey all listed. MacDonald and Jamieson have yet to win the Gold Cup & Saucer — though both have World Driving Championships and O'Brien Awards to their credit — while dual Horse Racing Hall of Famer Hennessey captured the Gold Cup & Saucer in 2001 and 2005.

To view the CTV News feature, click the play button on the video below.

The fields for Saturday and Monday's trials are listed below.

Gold Cup & Saucer Trial #1 (Saturday)
Post - Horse - Driver -Trainer
1. Time To Dance - Marc Campbell - Marc Campbell
2. Bayfield Beach - Jimmy Gagnon - Victor Puddy 
3. Merito Hanover - Jason Hughes - Trevor Hicken
4. Ideal Perception - James MacDonald - Anthony Beaton
5. Bettim Again - Redmond Doucet - Jeff Lilley
6. Beachin Lindy - Stephen Charlton - Stephen Charlton
7. Cadillac Bayama - David Dowling - Colin Johnson
8. Twin B Tuffenuff - Ken Arsenault - Ron Matheson

Gold Cup & Saucer Trial #2 (Saturday)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Legion Seelster - Jimmy Gagnon - Victor Puddy
2. Always B Sweet - Brodie MacPhee - Anthony Stymest
3. Major Hill - Marc Campbell - Chris MacKay
4. Sintra - James MacDonald - Jamie Smith
5. Laughagain Hanover - Jason Hughes - Teesha Symes
6. Island Beach Boy - Corey MacPherson - Gilles Barrieau
7. Rotten Ronnie - Redmond Doucet - Lennan MacIsaac

Gold Cup & Saucer Trial #3 (Monday)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Ys Mathis - Marc Campbell - Marc Campbell
2. Rhodena Road - Brett MacDonald - Neil MacInnis
3. Lovemyrockinbird - Jason Hughes - Victor Puddy
4. Spectrum Seelster -  Brandon Campell - Chris MacKay
5. Patrikthepiranha A - Wally Hennessey - Melissa Beckwith
6. No Plan Intended - Jody Jamieson - Colin Johnson
7. Batterup Hanover - Paul Langille  - Paul Langille