From a purely cultural perspective, the chasm between regional and urban Australia has never been greater.

And based on Saturday night’s metropolitan trotting results, this chasm may extend to standardbreds as well.

Last weekend, Shepparton hosted top-class racing action to launch a stretch where metro racing in Victoria will be staged at various centres while upgrades are made at Tabcorp Park Melton.

Typically, Shep is considered pretty much like Melton, so most were expecting business as usual based on what seemed a subtle shift in play.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Almost every racing debate is subjective in nature, so opinions will be divided when it comes to assessing the reasons underlying Saturday night’s chaotic results.

Yet the best explanation for why so many favoured runners underperformed is simply that racing itself refuses to play by the rules.

For context, however, here are some stats from an utterly perplexing night at the races.

Five of the nine favourites missed a place. In the first three events, every popular elect finished last or second last.

There were five follow-up reports requested by stewards overseeing the programme, comprising each of those first three failures along with Sirletic in race four and Aladdin in race five. Both finished second last and, at one point, held favouritism for their respective events.

And in eight of the nine events, the final recorded quarter was slower than its preceding split, an occurrence which transpires outside Cranbourne roughly as often as Halley’s Comet becomes visible in night skies from Earth.

Despite the anarchy, there were, as there always are, headline heroes to celebrate.

Nephew Of Sonoko, who had beaten Australia’s highest rated trotter, Majestuoso, in circumstances which heavily favoured him at Melton, was pitted against the Great Southern Star winner once again at Shepparton.

There, in the TAB Touch Merchant Free For All, punters and pundits were wondering whether lightning could strike twice with both horses staying in gait throughout.

It did, and Nephew Of Sonoko incontrovertibly declared, for the few that still doubted him, that he’s the real deal.

Soho Historia achieved a similar feat with her effortless triumph against older mare a little later in the card.

Increasingly, the Queensland winter carnival is coming to symbolize the Melbourne galloping spring carnival in scope and depth.

Wonderful as the entrées have been, that carnival’s main course begins on Saturday night with the Group 1 Rising Sun for three and four-year-old pacers.

Victoria’s best male entry is Better Eclipse, our best female entry is Ladies In Red.

Between them, and a few other Vic combatants, one suspects the Garden State will play a major role.

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.