THE wait is almost over. In many ways, Saturday week’s $305,000 Group 1 Rising Sun is the most anticipated race this year.

Sure, King Of Swing’s Miracle Mile “farewell” was something special, but it’s the unique nature of the Rising Sun and sheer depth of talent aiming at it which has us all counting down the days.

It is incredible to think this is just the second running of the race.

When Racing Queensland announced the race – the brainchild of innovative harness leader David Brick – it was new, different and exciting.

Bringing together our best four-year-olds – an age group not properly catered for in my opinion – and spicing it up by allowing up to two (outstanding) three-year-olds to run against them.

To entice the relatively young and inexperienced three-year-olds to take up the daunting challenge, they are guaranteed the best barriers (one and two).

Similarly, if you have a four-year-old mare good enough, you also get a barrier advantage – drawing next door to the three-year-olds (barrier three, then four, etc).

Amazing Dream winning the inaugural running was so important. Drawing three won her the race. Mark Purdon slotted her straight in behind three-year-old Krug where she had a gun run and used the sprint lane to beat two outstanding four-year-olds in Copy That and Expensive Ego.

Last year’s race was a pearler when you consider Copy That went on to win a NZ Cup, Spirit Of St Louis (who ran sixth) is now Australia’s top-ranked pacer and Amazing Dream did some special things afterwards before heading to the US.

But this year’s running has even more potential.

Purely because Amazing Dream won last year, we get to see Victoria’s queen Ladies In Red tackle the boys for the first time in her stellar career.

The three-year-old tickets have gone to two hugely exciting pacers in NSW Derby winner Leap To Fame and exciting Ripp, who can be forgiven for his Redcliffe flop after his big frame never looked happy around the tight circuit.

Chariots Of Fire winner Better Eclipse is there, as is Ladies In Red’s brilliant and emerging stablemate Beyond Delight, who may be as fast as any pacer in the land over 300m.

Just on Ladies In Red going into it first-up. Don't worry about that. I was lucky enough to visit the Stewart/Tonkin barn last week and they are stunningly excited with her progress.

It will be a shock if the big, raw and gifted Victorian pacer Rock N Roll Doo doesn’t snag an invite, too.

Australia’s open class ranks were already a tad thin before the retirement of King Of Swing.

But the abundance of talent being showcased in the Rising Sun highlights the excitement of the next generation coming through.

EVEN this far out, WA star Magnificent Storm is the exciting “X factor” for the Victorian Inter Dominion.

Veteran trainer Ray Williams has made no secret of his wish to tackle the series in November/December and his stable star is doing his bit to justify it.

Magnificent Storm has lived right up to his name with two terrific wins this campaign.

It’s now clear the five-year-old wasn’t quite himself with some niggling foot issues through WA’s biggest races at the start of the year.

But we are now seeing the versatility and brilliance that got us all so excited with Magnificent Storm last season.

I’ve got no doubt he is up with the very best in Australia at his top and to have a serious WA factor in this series would give it another dimension.

Given the alarming dearth of open-class talent in NZ where Self Assured is a total standout, attracting a WA star (or possibly a few of them) to Victoria is just what the series needs.

The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.