Never in Australasian harness racing’s rich and storied history have fans been forced to switch and swivel their attentions more than in the past three maniacal months.
Since October last year, there’s been little respite from the specter of feature racing; and those desperate to catch their breath are badly out of luck.
Understandably enough, the staggering consistency of top-class contests has a happy knack of dulling the senses.
And sometimes causes even the most fervent zealot to forget what they’ve witnessed while the storm has raged.
Tonight, phase four of Victoria’s elite-level onslaught commences.
Phase one featured the Victoria Cup along the Derby and Oaks, phase two encompassed the state’s feature futurities, phase three – sandwiched within phase two – housed the Inter Dominion series and phase four will summon the Summer of Glory.
This evening, as this latest chapter begins with the Bendigo Cup and Maori Mile, there’s a beautiful synchronicity with where it all began.
Challenging as it may be to believe, this entire epic journey was launched when Rock N Roll Doo ate his rivals alive in the Group 1 Grand Circuit Victoria Cup at Tabcorp Park.
And tonight, the benchmark pacer in this part of the world returns to birth his Hunter Cup campaign.
Without doubt, there’ll be those that question his top-seed credentials.
After all, Mick Stanley’s freshly turned five-year-old didn’t dominate the Kiwis as expected through his New Zealand Cup campaign and was safely held when last competing in the Cranbourne Cup.
Regardless of these anomalies, he’s still the best we have, even if that Vic Cup triumph seems an age ago.
Such is the tyranny of time and the lapsing memories of overstimulated punters that Rock N Roll Doo, drawn gate one, somehow opened $2.25 for this evening’s Group 2 feature.
Those smart enough to take that price should be congratulated.
Those waiting for something more generous will wait forevermore.
Let’s be clear, Rock N Roll Doo will improve off what he does tonight and may even be crossed from his seemingly ideal pole-marking draw.
Nevertheless, for those with memories of his early spring campaign, any price will do.
There’s an old saying about the fog of war, but some have been fooled by the fog of feature racing.
One who won’t be fooled is Rock N Roll Doo himself.
Andy Gath and Anton Golino have played this game before.
Andy with his gelding; Anton with his mare.
First it was Tornado Valley and Dance Craze that built the brilliant rivalry; now it’s Majestuoso and Im Ready Jet.
Tonight, those two great trotters will meet for the sixth time in Bendigo’s Aldebaran Park Maori Mile, with Im Ready Jet drawn one and Majestuoso drawn two.
Whoever wins tonight gets bragging rights, but this is also the beginning of a magical tour to outline whether one of that pair - or perhaps Just Believe - deserves to take the throne as Australia’s leading trotter.
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.