A third hat has been well and truly thrown into the ring for the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup, with Hurricane Harley crushing Bendigo’s middle-distance track record in winning the Vincent @ Alabar Farms Pace.

The Emma Stewart trained and Amanda Turnbull driven Group 1 winner stopped the clock in a 1:52.3 mile rate to win ahead of Lochinvar Art, 1.3 seconds under Centenario’s previous record over the 2150 metres.

The result has not only boosted Hurricane Harley’s claims for a start in the October 10 $300,000 Victoria Cup, but potentially a Grand Circuit victory.

“This is as strong a field as you can get and he just proved tonight if he gets a good draw he’s going to be hard to catch (in the Cup),” Amanda Turnbull told Trots Vision post-race.

It was an impressive front running display from Hurricane Harley, who took over from Idealsomemagic at the head of affairs and kept the race ticking along as his main rivals loomed.

With just over a lap and the straight to go, Lochinvar Art and Major Times emerged in quick succession, with Lochinvar Art temporarily pushed four-wide when Reactor Now looped San Carlo into the breeze.

While Major Times was stranded three-wide, Lochinvar Art advanced to the breeze and on to Hurricane Harley’s hip, with the latter following 28.6 and 28.2 first and second quarters with a 27.3-second third quarter.

That speed split the field, enabling Lochinvar Art to take a breather on Hurricane Harley’s back and then attempt a sprint lane victory, but Turnbull’s four-year-old had the answers, holding on for a 1.5-metre win.

“He’s just a machine in front, he loves running along,” Turnbull said. “He did get a little bit keen through the middle stages. When the good ones came I had to get running along then, but he just does it within himself and you just have to hang on and enjoy it.

“I was pretty happy when (Lochinvar Art) was outside me but when he got in on my back I was pretty worried then, because I knew he would get a good breather. I didn’t really want to slow my momentum down too much. That was my biggest worry, how much he had left in the tank.”

Hurricane Harley had all the answers and with that announced his Victoria Cup claims.

“He’s such a great little horse. He’s been good to me the whole time through,” Turnbull said. “I was pretty confident tonight, I thought he’d run a good race and he proved me right.

 “It’s pretty cool, because he is such a little horse but he has a big stride, so you sort of don’t realise you are going that fast.”

A front-running performance also took the honours in tonight’s headline trotting race, with Red Hot Tooth winning an early barney with Tornado Valley for the lead, which would prove the decisive battle.

With their early gate speed separating them from the chasing pack, Kate Gath took the chance to ease to leader’s back on Tornado Valley, after which there was little pressure on Red Hot Tooth, who produced a 31-5-second first quarter and then cruised through a 29.9-second second quarter.

With Wobelee unable to sustain a challenge in the breeze, Tornado Valley would be Red Hot Tooth’s only threat, but reinswoman Kerryn Manning had all the answers with her Kari Males-trained trotting mare.

"She's tough and brave, so tonight we thought if she could stay in front of Tornado Valley we would hold him out tonight,” Manning told Trots Vision.

“She's got speed and she's strong, she was flat at the end but she toughs it out.”