Champion Victorian pacer Lochinvar Art and the pride of New South Wales, King Of Swing, will both have to navigate back row draws to win Victoria’s greatest harness race.

Lochinvar Art drew barrier nine for the $500,000 Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup, while King Of Swing will need to overcome barrier 12 to make it back-to-back victories in the race.

The pair have a commanding hold over betting markets for the 2760m race, with Lochinvar Art long odds-on with TAB and King Of Swing $5.

Lochinvar Art is coming off impressive back-to-back cup wins at Shepparton and Ballarat, which followed a Vicbred Super Series final triumph on New Year’s Eve.

King Of Swing is on a five-race winning streak, including a Grand Circuit success at Albion Park in December’s Blacks A Fake.

In the head-to-head battle, King Of Swing has a 2-1 lead over Lochinvar Art, but in October’s Victoria Cup, when they last clashed, the Victorian David Moran-trained superstar could not have been more emphatic.

Moran’s confidence was not dented by gate nine.

“He’s got nothing more to prove in my eyes,” he said of Lochinvar Art.

“I’m pretty happy (with gate nine).”

If there were to be an upset in the big race, recent Hamilton Cup winner Fourbigmen was luckless in the Ballarat Cup and is flying.

Fourbigmen is one of two Emma Stewart-trained pacers in the Hunter Cup, the other being outsider Somewhere Secret in barrier seven.

Wolf Stride is another pacer with a huge Grand Circuit future, but his task has been made all the tougher for drawing barrier 11.

Champion reinsman and seven-time Hunter Cup winner Anthony Butt will drive Wolf Stride, who he co-trains with partner Sonya Smith.

$500,000 2021 Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup Final Field

1: Triple Eight
2: Alta Orlando
3: Sirletic (1em)
4: Fourbigmen
5: Bettor Be The Bomb
6: Our Uncle Sam
7: Somewhere Secret
8: Out To Play
9: Lochinvar Art
10: Star Galleria
11: Wolf Stride
12: King Of Swing
13: Malcolms Rhythm

 

 

Photo: Lochinvar Art after winning the PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup for trainer-driver David Moran. By Stuart McCormick.