Chris Alford and Amanda Turnbull won their state premierships last year with Alford already ahead in this season's title.

Alford has been engaged to drive the well-fancied Im Corzin Terror for Lara trainer Dean Braun while Turnbull will again have the sit on last Sunday's City Of Launceston Cup winner Slick Bromac in the Tasmania Cup.

The Tasmania Cup, formerly the Tasmanian Pacing Championship, has been dominated by interstate horses in the past decade with Prodigious the last local to win in 2001.

This year Tasmania's best hope of causing an upset is with Magra-trained Our Chain Of Command who will be driven by Ricky Duggan.

Our Chain Of Command is unbeaten in two starts since returning from a Victorian campaign and at his latest effort rated 1:58.7 winning a free-for-all on December 8.

Duggan finished third on Our Chain Of Command in last year's race, which was won by Moto Crusader.

Moto Crusader is back for another tilt but will have to improve on his disappointing fourth behind Slick Bromac last Sunday.

THE level of stakemoney for Tasmania's harness races is to rise from next month. Tasracing's chief executive, Eliot Forbes said $150,000 had been re- allocated to increase stakes for all Sunday twilight meetings.

He said the decision was taken following consultation with the industry.

"It was seen as the most responsible and equitable way to re-allocate the funds after deletion of a number of races due to a low number of acceptors so far this season," he said.