Emma Stewart’s position as premier producer of juvenile pacers was once again to the fore as the Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series got under way tonight at Bendigo.

The Cardigan stable secured five winners from eight two-year-old pacing heats, and the status quo isn’t expected to buck too much tomorrow night in the three-year-old prelims at Kilmore. Stewart could have as many as seven favourites in the heats.

Exciting Bettors Delight colt Hurricane Harley was the fastest night one winner, the Lauriston Bloodstock raced bay zipping around Lords in 1:56.7 to overhaul previously unbeaten stablemate Centenario.

Unbeaten for his career to date bar the APG Final, where he ran a mighty second to the pacer he overpowered tonight, Hurricane Harley is three-out-of-four and looks destined for the top.

Recovering from an early break after shying into the first turn, Hurricane Harley was quickly composed by reinsman Mark Pitt and grabbed the lucrative trip behind Centenario for the bulk of the 2150m trip.

And while Centenario travelled sweetly enough approaching the final bend for the dash for cash, Hurricane Harley travelled sweeter.

The last half-furlong was a pleasure to watch as the Harley found another gear.

Centenario should lose no admirers in defeat; and let us not forget the APG champ and Shakamaker Classic winner has delivered in spades since early March.

Of the beaten brigade in this heat, they may as well have been in another postcode. Young Rooster found the line OK off a soft trip and Firestorm Red finished fourth.

In the opening colts and geldings’ heat it was another Stewart win and, actually, an upset result.

Nostra Ideal paid $16.90 and upstaged the $1.10 favourite stablemate Fourbigmen by a half-neck in 1:57.9.

Driven along to initially find the lead after Fourbigmen jumped a shadow and hopped and skipped for a couple of strides into the first turn, Nostra Ideal and driver Sidney Van Den Brande were quick to hand up to the favourite, preferring to wait for the sprint lane for their shot.

It took the majority of the final straight for the winner to conquer Fourbigmen but Nostra Ideal – an American Ideal colt – finished too quickly, notching his maiden win at start number two for an elated owner Anthony Caruana, who had enormous success last season with Nostra Villa.

Abouttime finished third from a tough draw, while Tidal Surge was a fast-finishing fourth after a soft but snookered trip.

New South Wales raider Petes Big Jim was the other boys’ heat winner for Shane and Lauren Tritton.

The son of Big Jim was fast off the blocks from the pole draw and never looked in doubt, pacing 1:57.1 to defeat Stewart-trained Morengo Magic in second, Dee Double You for Paul Fitzpatrick and Gavin Lang in third and Matthew Craven’s Crime Writer next.

The fillies’ fastest heat winner was Art Major young gun Kualoa, who went 1:57.2 to score easily over Delightful Jazz in Heat 4.

Driven by Chris Alford, Kualoa sat parked outside race favourite Single Tree Road before putting that filly to the sword at the home corner and racing clear in the concluding stages to delight owners Bruce and Vicki Edward.

Delightful Jazz ran on hard with Mark Pitt in the gig, while Michael Stanley’s Single Tree Road – who flew to the front early from barrier seven – fought gamely to hold off Robyn Rocks at the end and run third.

Alford and Stewart had combined earlier for the first of the fillies’ heat winners, Kickit Sista taking out Race 1 in 1:59.9 by 1.5m over Soho Crucio for Ryan Duffy.

A daughter of Blissfull Hall, Kickit Sista is now two-from-two and her reputation is burgeoning.

Elsa Belle was third for Jack Laugher and Bill Galea, while Ahmed Taiba-trained Our Road To Mecca was fourth.

Two Times Bettor produced a powerful display to win the second fillies’ heat, the daughter of Bettors Delight from the Stewart stable with Pitt in the seat rating 1:57.7 from the chair.

The second horse, Soho Nolita, at no stage shirked the task to finish 2m behind the winner, with Stanley-trained stablemate Tryna Portray finishing in third place, ahead of Jess Tubbs-trained Larajay Macray for Greg Sugars.

And Bathurst Gold Tiara champ Major Kiss began her Vicbred campaign on a sweet note for trainer-driver David Jack, the well-tried favourite using the pole draw to full advantage to hold off runner-up Tiger Storm (Stewart/Alford) by a narrow margin.

The battle for the win went to the stewards’ room with a second-against-first protest, but the challenge was dismissed and the placings stood.

Craig Hoban-trained Tangoingwithsierra was an eye-catcher in third for reinsman Gavin Lang. The exciting filly saw no daylight but qualifies for the next round, while Ideally Say Yes was fourth for trainer Kate Hargreaves and reinsman Alex Ashwood.

The Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series continues tomorrow night at Kilmore and all the action will be streamed live via Trots Vision at thetrots.com.au