With just shy of $1.5million on offer, the big guns have come out to play and the racing is set to be outstanding.
The barrier draws on Monday evening threw even further intrigue to the eight Group 1s with extremely even contests and tough maps for a few of the major players.
The race I am looking forward to most is the Villawood Properties three-year-old fillies division, which is race seven at 9.51pm. The Australian crop could well be the best we have seen in some time, however, the Trans-Tasman feel of this fillies final sets it up as the race of 2021.
LADIES IN RED even surprised her loyalist fans when demolishing her rivals in a dazzling Victoria Oaks performance just a few weeks ago, though the addition of BETTOR TWIST as top Kiwi seed alongside a talented and ever improving LIFES A BEACH adds a whole new dimension.
BEACH MUSIC may not have had the speed to hold the front when drawing to advantage in the Victoria Oaks, however, has managed to do just that at her three victorious attempts since.
In the IRT Australia three-year-old colts and geldings division, the talk has been tough early on from many camps, which has seen support for ACT NOW waver on various occasions after initially being supported into an odds-on quote.
Can YAMBUKIAN or BETTOR CALL ME hold out the challenge of the Victoria Derby king early?
BEYOND DELIGHT looked as though he could be anything as a two-year-old before going amiss and missing most of this season. Potentially a blessing in disguise for the colt bred on the golden cross, his semi-final performance in defeat was not lost on anyone.
When it comes to the two-year-old Crowns, it feels a very different series for both genders with many of the major players relatively unproven at his elite level after having later starts to their seasons.
CATCH A WAVE is clearly a super talent but his convictions have seen him banished to out of the draw and his mind is still trying to catch up to his robust body. If he can overcome the 13 gate it will be some performance by the son of Captaintreacherous for Kate and Andy Gath.
SOUNDS PERFECT has been superb in a late blooming two-start career through the heat and semi-final of this prestigious series and she will go around as the TAB favourite. With Emma Stewart holding all the aces with nine of the 12 starters there appears to be little between the stablemates and luck in running will be vital.
The square gaiters will also have their opportunity to race for riches as part of an enormous 10-race card getting underway just after 6pm.
Perch yourself up on the couch and tune into Sky Racing Active for all things Breeders Crown out of Tabcorp Park Melton for a sensational night of harness racing.
The final rankings for New South Wales’s ID21 have been released with the last acceptances due from connections today (Friday).
There were no surprises to see KING OF SWING lead the pacers rankings from start to finish whereas MAJESTIC MAN is only one of a couple of Kiwis to contest this year's series and appears the trotter to beat.
With heats only eight days away, barrier draws for the opening round at Menangle will be drawn up Monday with three pacing heats and two trotters the standard for the series.
BEST of the weekend – R3 N1 The Ideal Dancer@ Albion Park
VALUE of the weekend – R7 N1 Lifes A Beach @ Melton
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.