Emerging star WOLF STRIDE is poised to smash through the $500,000 stakemoney barrier with his last race of a fantastic campaign.

As much as co-trainer Anthony Butt wants to get Wolf Stride out for the spell, the chance to race for $100,000 at Group 1 level in the new Riverina Championship at Wagga on April 4 is irresistible.

After Wolf Stride’s slashing Miracle Mile third, Butt waited until it was clear sidelined star LOCHINVAR ART would miss the Wagga feature before deciding to “push on” with Wolf Stride.

Champion driver Chris Alford is still in hospital and no closer to knowing when he can return to the sulky.

Just hours after driving in the last Saturday week’s Miracle Mile, with what he thought was a sore but recovering knee injury after being kicked by a horse, Alford rushed to Kilmore hospital.

“I was OK at Menangle, but maybe the flight home triggered it or something because by the time I was coming home from Shepparton on the Sunday, my knee has blown-up to double its normal size,” he said.

The story of this Miracle Mile is more about what lies ahead rather than King Of Swing's win itself.

Yes it’s a mighty effort to become the seventh horse to win successive Miracle Miles, but, in retrospect, King Of Swing was a class above his rivals with Lochinvar Art sidelined. He won accordingly.

There were no sparks, there was no real contest. King Of Swing cruised to the front, driver Luke McCarthy dictated his own terms and really only dashed-up for the last 400m to cruise home. His 1min49.2sec mile was the equal slowest in the past six years and 1.2sec slower than he went to win 12 months earlier.

KING Of Swing has the $1 million Miracle Mile at his mercy.

The powerhouse stallion is TAB’s $1.40 favourite to continue the surprisingly great record of back-to-back Miracle Mile winners.

Since the race was first run and won by Robin Dundee in 1967, King Of Swing is aiming to become the seventh back-to-back winner. Those so far have been: Smoken Up (2010/11), Be Good Johnny (2005/06), Sokyola (2003/04), Holmes DG (1999/2000), Chokin (1993/94) and Westburn Grant (1989/90).

THIS will be a night to treasure at Newcastle. The 30-year history of the club’s flagship race has seen some of the greats win and now the 'Arty Party' heads to town when the sport’s pin-up pacer Lochinvar Art tackles Saturday night’s Group 1 Newcastle Mile.

Lochinvar Art’s owner-breeder Kevin Gordon is a local and has wanted to win the Newcastle Mile since his mate Vic Frost won it with the sublime Westburn Grant in 1990 & ’91.

“That was such a great time when Vic brought his champ him to win those two Miles. Ever since, I’ve wanted to have a runner in the Mile and to try and win it … I’ve got the horse now with Lochinvar Art,” Gordon said.

LOCHINVAR ART’S got that rare magical mix harness racing so badly needs.

He’s not just a superstar pacer, some would say already deserved of the “champion” tag, but he’s got charisma. In the words of trainer-driver David Moran, he’s quickly become a people's horse.

And Moran is such a big part of that with his refreshingly open-book and can-do attitude to any and every media request.

It is hard to see how budding superstar LOCHINVAR ART won’t win Saturday night’s $500,000 Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup.

When he drew nine last night, a little gasp when through the room, but just moments later KING OF SWING drew much worse in gate 12.

Lochinvar Art was $1.70 with TAB pre-draw, $1.50 moments after it and quickly crunched into $1.30, which underlines his dominance when you consider he does have to come from the back row to win.

Just how good could LOCHINVAR ART be? During a break in Sky Racing’s Ballarat Cup coverage, my co-host Gareth Hall declared Lochinvar Art was better than the recent Kiwi great LAZARUS.

At first I thought he was caught-up in the moment of yet another stunning Lochinvar Art win, but Gareth made a good argument.

WANTED: A driver for champion WA pacer Chicago Bull in the Del-Re National A G Hunter Cup.

The $2 million-plus earner is heading to Tabcorp Park Melton for the $500,000 feature on February 6, but his trainer and driver won’t be coming with him.

Kate Gath has got something thinking to do. The resurrection of McLovin, a little hiccup with Majestuoso and the miles on the clock for ageing champ Tornado Valley make for quite a conundrum when Gath has to choose between them.

You’d have been laughed at a few weeks back if you suggested she would drive McLovin, but he’s got his mojo back and arguably went as good as he ever has winning Saturday night’s Group 1 Aldebaran Park Maori Mile at Bendigo.

It only took one run for Luke McCarthy to add rejuvenated former Kiwi topliner Star Galleria to the Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup mix.

He’s one of three stable stars McCarthy and Craig Cross have earmarked for the Hunter Cup with defending champ King Of Swing and former winner Bling It On being the others.

What better way to put all that is 2020 behind us than by celebrating everything we have look forward to in harness racing, especially here in Victoria.

To see out this most confronting of years with 12 Group 1 races, more glimpses of the sport’s brightest stars and some serious mainstream TV exposure sets the tone for what lies ahead.

And it’s amazingly exciting.

Christmas comes early for harness fans tomorrow, when Australia’s best pacer, Lochinvar Art, headlines a ripper 12-race Alabar Vicbred Super Series semi-finals card at Tabcorp Park Melton.

And the added spice is, he meets the brilliant Hurricane Harley – who boasts two wins from his past three meetings with Lochinvar Art – in race eight.

The Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup can’t come quickly enough.

February 6 at Tabcorp Park Melton is when we’ll get to the see the return bout between King Of Swing and Lochinvar Art.

There’s a big chance you can throw in the likes of NZ Cup winner Self Assured, WA hero Chicago Bull and the emerging Hurricane Harley as well.

THIS year’s Victorian Inter Dominion needs to be a line in the sand for the sport’s marquee race.

As each year passes, less people see it as the ultimate prize in the game. That’s because it has been in limbo – with exceptions here and there – for almost a decade.

The pecking order for Australasia’s top pacers makes for a fascinating discussion.

It is why the back half of 2024, especially the open-class features, like the Blacks A Fake, Len Smith, Victoria Cup and Inter Dominion shape as terrific contests.

There is no doubt Leap To Fame is a clear top seed.

Champion driver Chris Alford has warned punters to drop off star trotting mare Queen Elida at their own peril.

Alford, who recently topped an Australasian record 8000 career wins, says Queen Elida is as good as any trotter he’s driven and getting back close to her very best just in time for Friday night’s stellar inaugural $NZ600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge

WHAT a joy it has been having a front row seat to the rise and rise of Ladies In Red.

It was almost a year ago I started to think she was the best filly (or mare) Australia had seen since Tailamade Lombo 20 years ago.

Just the way she continued to defy the odds, win from anywhere and smash the clock with sectional times.