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.

On pure performance and CV, Lazarus is a long way in front given he won an Inter Dominion and Hunter Cup sitting parked and a couple of NZ Cups, but distance of those wins is significant. Lazarus was a mighty stayer, one of the best we’ve seen.

But Lazarus was vulnerable in shorter races. He didn’t have the sheer brilliance of some of the sport’s other greats.

Lochinvar Art looks to have it all. No doubt the further they go, the more dominant he becomes, but he’s got the explosiveness to win a Miracle Mile or any sprint race for that matter.

If he lacks one thing it is absolute sparkling gate speed, but even that looks to be improving with practice.

For now, I’ll go with Lochinvar Art has the potential to be better than Lazarus and grab a spot alongside some of the absolute all-time greats of the sport.

Wins in the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile over the next six weeks would certainly fast-track that.

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An anxious wait looms for Kiwi trotting “King” Phil Williamson and his stable star MAJESTIC MAN.

The classy speedster, who is to be the only Kiwi raider at this Summer of Glory, still isn’t in Australia.

He’s now booked on a flight from Auckland to Melbourne on Wednesday, but Williamson admits he is yet to have it confirmed Majestic Man will be on that flight.

“We’ve got everything crossed,” he said. “The strange thing is, Bradley (Williamson, Phil’s son) arrived in Melbourne tonight. So our trainer and driver are there, but just not the horse.

“If he doesn’t get on Wednesday’s flight then we’ll obviously miss the Dullard Cup this week, which has always been our first target.”

While Majestic Man isn’t NZ’s best trotters – SUNDEES SON and probably BOLT FOR BRILLIANCE rank above him – he is the best suited to races like the V L Dullard Cup, What The Hill Great Southern Star and Group 1 Trotters’ Mile (at Menangle on March 6).

“He loves the sprint racing and he’s got plenty of gate speed, which is rarely the case with our (NZ) trotters,” Williamson said. “It’s been a really complicated and frustrating process to get across with all of the COVID-19 issues, but we think it’s worth all the hard work and cost because he’ll be so competitive.

“Now we just need him to be on that (Wednesday) flight.”

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What refreshing powerhouse Anthony Butt and Sonya Smith have quickly become in Victoria.

It’s yet another layer to what is very clearly the deepest and most competitive training ranks in Australasia.

Butt trained and drove a treble – PERFECT STRIDE, PRESTIGE STRIDE and BOOTS ELECTRIC – on Ballarat Cup night as well as having stable star WOLF STRIDE smash the clock from mile back when third in the Cup.

All four are bound for major races.

“Perfect Stride is back to his best and Boots Electric has really stepped-up, so we’ll give both their chance in the 4YO Bonanza (February 6),” Butt said. “Prestige Stride is a filly we really like. She’s still raw and learning, but she’ll run in the Gold Chalice on Hunter Cup night then go to the NSW Oaks heats.

“I was told Wolf Stride ran 52 and change for this last half. It was a huge run from where he was and running in these races will help make him longer term. He’ll go straight to the Hunter Cup now.”

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