Southern Tasmanian harness racing fans are in for a treat at Luxbet Park Hobart on Sunday night with the New Year's Day meeting boasting two of the Hobart club's best races.

The eight-race card features the Hobart Pacing Cup and Eric Reece Memorial finals with both considered wide open affairs.

The Hobart Pacing Cup will be run over 3060 metres and comprises a field of 14 that made it into the race through a series of heats.

Likely favourite Resurgent Spirit has already been scratched from the race which paves the way for the emergency Idle Hands to gain a start.

Victorian-owned Just Knew qualified for the final with a fifth in the first heat in Hobart four weeks ago but he has since scored two impressive wins, the latest in the Meander Valley Cup at Carrick on Tuesday.

Just Knew is trained in Victoria by Keith Cotchin but he left the horse in Tasmania after the Hobart Cup heat to be prepared for the rest of his stay by Mellissa Maine who rates the six-year-old gelding a good chance of winning the final.

"He has to back up from Tuesday's win but he has done all the right things since that run so hopefully he can have a bit of luck go his way on Sunday night," Maine said.

Just Knew, a winner of 12 of his 68 starts, will be driven by Maine's life partner Gareth Rattray who also has a good opinion of the horse.

The son of Mach Three hadn't won a race since June when he arrived in Tasmania for a tilt at the Hobart Pacing Cup.

The Reece Memorial final over 2090 metres boasts an even field of 12 with heat winner Couta Rocks expected to start favourite given the way he delivered the knockout blow to his rivals in his heat last Sunday week.

It was his fifth start in the state since arriving from Victoria in September and trainer Paul Hill says the gelding has thrived since his heat win.

Couta Rocks is owned by Tasmanians who raced the horse in Victoria where he notched a win and four minor placings before landing in Hill's stables at Tea Tree.

Peter Staples