FASTEN your seatbelts harness racing fans: Things are about to step up a notch with a frenetic last three months to come in the 2021 season.  

Bendigo is the centrepiece of the Pryde's EasiFeed Victoria Cup Carnival, hosting the TAB Smoken Up Sprint and the Aldebaran Park Chris Howe Trotters Free For All as well as the Derby and Oaks heats this weekend before a blockbuster card of four Group 1s the following.

Add to that the return of King Of Swing tomorrow (Saturday) night at Menangle alongside a marathon trotting feature and Sky 1 will be enthralling viewing all evening long.  

An even bunch of fast-class pacers will have their last opportunity to put their names forward for a spot in next week's $300,000 feature when they line up in the sprint trip Smoken Up feature, which is race seven on Bendigo’s 11 racer.  

MAX DELIGHT was last seen when a close fourth in the VHRC Caduceus Classic three weeks ago after burning hard early when he was crossed and eventually retook the lead from GENERAL DODGE. His prior Menangle sprint trip form was excellent and, with the benefit of a front row draw tomorrow night, he again looks the most likely lamp lighter.

The battle for the spot on his back is set to be ultra-intriguing with the likes of BULLETPROOF BOY and TORRID SAINT vying to have the first opportunity at him up the passing lane.  

I was impressed with the performance of Malcoms Rhythm in last week's Jet Roofing Kilmore Pacing Cup, when he was held up on the turn before finding the line strongly. From a nice second row trailing draw he is my on topper. 

MAJESTUOSO and PINK GALAHS will be the headline acts in the following event, which also doubles as the final leg of the main quaddie.  

Both were dealt second row draws, but their runs in the Shepparton Trotters Cup a fortnight ago were excellent and great indicators of their Group 1 chances during spring and summer.  

Majestuoso just looks to be in the zone and, despite tasting defeat in the Australasian Trotting Championships a few weeks ago his efforts were still meritorious. In the small field, I believe his sheer speed will lead him to victory, however, don’t write off the chances of RED HOT TOOTH from her likely front running position nor Pink Galahs, who will derive great benefit from her last start effort. 

The three-year-olds will be looking to book their spots in their respective features seven days later over the 2650-metre staying trip in the Derby and Oaks heats throughout the card also. 

With three heats for the colts and geldings, BONDI LOCKDOWN and AMERICAN DEALER will lock horns in the opening heat while MAJOR MOTH looks the one in heat two and ACT NOW, PATSBEACHSTORM and the fascinating SUGAR ME will do battle in the most open heat.   

BEACH MUSIC will get her chance to put her hand up as a genuine Oaks contender when she starts from the two gate against the awkwardly drawn TOUGH TILLY in the first of the fillies division, whereas LADIES IN RED looks on a painless path in the second.  

An 11-race card of excellence awaits us tomorrow night out of Bendigo and you won't miss a minute on Sky Racing Active with Gareth Hall and the TrotsVision team engaged to bring the action.  

WHILE Magnificent Storm enjoys some R ’n R in his paddock ahead of a pacing cups tilt early next year the free-for-all action at Gloucester Park this evening hasn’t taken a backwards step.  

The return of the exciting and unbeaten on Australian soil TEXAS TIGER is a wonderful addition to the fast class ranks, but then throw in pacing pocket rocket HURRICANE HARLEY and it’s a tantalising contest.  

Texas Tiger hasn’t trialled in preparation for his return, however, comes in with a picket fence form line of eight successive victories since crossing the ditch and creating a big impression in the process. 

HURRICANE HARLEY looks born for Gloucester Park racing.  

The speed machine joins Justin Prentice with $476,000 in the bank, a few wins over LOCHINVAR ART in the last 18 months and a record that suggests he is nigh on unbeatable on the pegs. Add to that a frighteningly good trial in preparation at Pinjarra last week, the fact Gary Hall Jnr has chosen him over Texas Tiger and that the TAB has installed him as an odds-on favour despite the wide draw.

With all that being said, I am siding with the well backed VAMPIRO, who has race fitness and the barrier draw advantage on his side for Team Bond. It’s a contest not to be missed so tune into Sky Racing 1 tonight at 7.22pm local Perth time for a real treat! 

The change of season has had an overwhelmingly positive effect already on Southern Hemisphere harness racing, with more well educated and mature juveniles an obvious tick as well as no need to have end-of-season championship races like Breeders Crown in the depths of winter.  

A significant feature race calendar reshuffle has occurred alongside this that has seen many 'regular’ time slots for some of our biggest futurity features moved. 

Some obvious examples include the Vicbred Super Series occurring on the last day of the year and the Breeders Challenge moving from May/June to October.  

This was always bound to happen and, in fairness, was one of the main basis for changing the calendar.

The congestion in the last three months of the season, however, has caused many a headache for industry participants and connections alike, with the lack of any New South Wales representation in the Victoria Derby and Oaks heats clear.

The Victoria Derby sits atop the tree when it comes to prestige and has always been a target for all top three-year-old colts and geldings from right around Australia and often a strong New Zealand contingent have dominated.

This year there is one lone representative from outside of Victoria – Sugar Me for Cran and Chrissie Dalgety from New Zealand - and he was very much a last-minute inclusion.  

Now it would be remiss to not offer the current COVID situation as a tangible explanation also for the lack of interstate and international interest, but it’s not impossible to achieve, particularly with $200,000 on the line.  

Even looking further ahead to later this year, a significant hurdle faces Mattie Craven and his brilliant mare PINK GALAHS. If she was to travel to the Inter Dominion and make the Grand Final, which the team are obviously keen to achieve border issues aside, she would have to rush back to Victoria four days later to take her place in the Vicbred Super Series heats for four-year-old mares.  

It may only take moving a meeting one week this or that way, but for the beneficiary of the entire industry, all industry bodies need to have a round-table discussion (or maybe zoom) to use our new calendar to its absolute maximum potential.

There are 52 weeks in a year – let's give everyone their opportunity and have the best of the best meet as often as possible!

Brittany Graham is a regular host on Sky Racing and the Sky Racing Active app, plus In The Gig with Ben Way and Gareth Hall every Tuesday night on Sky Racing 2 from 6pm.

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.