The Elders have three qualifiers for the 57^th edition of the group 3 Maitland race, which the family have been chasing since it started.

Darren's father, Brian, and grandfather, Ben, were harness racing trainers, and now his son, Brad, and daughter, Melanie, are carrying on the family tradition.

Darren trains finalists Our Uncle Alan and First Fleeter, while Melanie has trained Ashark to a second consecutive decider.

Brad will drive Our Uncle Alan in the final after winning a heat with him last Sunday. He also steered Ashark to second in the heats. Joe Taaffe will take over on Ashark, while Mark Callaghan will sit behind First Fleeter instead of Michael Formosa, who is suspended.

First Fleeter, $81 on TAB fixed odds, has drawn the outside of the front line on class, but Our Uncle Alan and Ashark will start from the second row.

Both were on the second line of betting on $6.50 behind Trevor Munday-trained Benalong Valley ($1.70).

"Our Uncle Alan, I think he's the tougher of the three," Darren said of the stable's hopes.

"He likes to bowl along, he's a get-going horse and he's drawn where Brad can do what he needs to do.

"It was a pretty hard decision for him. He really wanted to drive Ashark but it was just the way things panned out."

Elder believed the race would come down to Ashark, Our Uncle Alan, Benalong Valley and Sergei, which is prepared by Bolwarra trainer-driver Geoff Dorn.

"I think it's between the back-line horses," he said.

"They hold the key to it and it's whoever gets the right run. There wouldn't be much between them all.

"Our Uncle Alan was probably the most impressive winner because he went around them and broke 30 for his last three quarters, where the others stayed there, backed off then skipped home in a quarter.

"But we wouldn't swap either of ours for any others in the race."

Elder was thrilled for the family to have three runners in their home feature, which has been restricted to Australian-bred pacers the past two editions.

Elder went closest to victory with Saint Stormy, which was second in January 2016.

"I think we've only ever had the one in at a time," he said. "We made the final plenty of times and I actually won the consolation race a few times when they had it.

"But we've never been lucky enough to win the final. The family would have won close to a dozen heats over the years."

The main race is scheduled for 9.17pm. Race one is 6.23pm.

Elder applauded the decision to include only Australian-bred horses in the series, which has been dominated in recent years by Kiwi imports.

"It's probably the only decent decision harness racing has ever made," he said.

"Before, it just made it for the power people. Now it's for the breeders who want to put their money in and wait for three years to get a result.

"There should be more of it for the area."

He said First Fleeter would have been a live chance if drawn on the inside of the second line.

"He likes to run off the pace, he doesn't use himself up," he said.

"He was probably one of the most impressive runs in the heats.

"He was back to last at the 500. He took inside runs, then was to the outside. He probably made up the most ground of any horse and his sectionals would have been second to none.

"If he had drawn seven, he would have been a live chance, I think."

The meeting will also feature the Maitland Cup, Charlie Camilleri Memorial and a Menangle country series heat.