HARNESS fans only need to look to the Everest to see what a great thing slot races can be.

This year’s Everest is still four months away, but during the week we had racing headlines about not one but two horses – Mazu and Eduardo - being locked-in for slots.

Slot races, if done properly, are the gift that keeps giving.

And that’s why we should be so excited about having our own in with The TAB Eureka.

Last week we got some exciting and crucial information about the timing and criteria for potential slot holders.

And, it's now abundantly clear, there will be MANY more applications for slots than the nine remaining.

We now know Harness Racing Australia will officially call for expressions of interest from potential slot holders from June 1. The process will close on August 1.

As hoped, it won’t be a matter of stumping-up the $300,000 for a slot per year for the first three years to be in the race for a slot. Applicants will need to outline how they propose to promote both the race and harness racing in general.

The Eureka can and must be a massive year-round promotional tool for the sport.

Whether you’re a huge fan of The Eureka or not, it’s here, it’s huge and it’s just the PR opportunity the sport desperately needs. It’s not going anywhere so we need to all get around it.

Isn’t it great for the game that we’re already talking about who the “top seeds” for the race are – Catch A Wave, Leap To Fame, Ripp or maybe something else – and who is likely to chase them once the slots are allocated?

KATE Gath isn’t worried about Catch A Wave’s “fierce” tendencies going forward.

When probed about the buzz pacer’s want to over-race this campaign, Gath grinned and said she and husband, Andy, had “ways to overcome that when we need to.”

But for now, Catch A Wave heads to the paddock in the latest show of “long term” thinking from the Gaths and owners Richard and Pauline Matthews.

Don’t forget they happily skipped the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series 2YO final late last year with a view to the future.

Now, they refuse to be tempted by riches like the Rising Sun and Queensland Derby at Albion Park in coming months.

“He’s going for a break. We don’t think now is the time to travel with him,” Andy Gath said. “His next target will be the Victoria Derby (October 8).”

Beyond that is the Breeders Crown in November and then a decision will have to be made on the Vicbred Super Series 3YO final on New Year’s Eve.

While it seems a logical target, Gath wants to chase the Chariots Of Fire at Menangle next February and is mindful how tricky that could be if Catch A Wave races until the end of December.

With Catch A Wave and Tough Tilly – Kate Gath’s two glamour pacing drives – both having breaks and bypassing Queensland, it could be a blessing as she prepares herself for the New York Marathon in early November.

Gath, who is running the marathon to raise funds and awareness for EB Research, launched her fundraising during the week.

In a great show of support, donations immediately started flowing, headed by $10,000 from the owners of Tough Tilly and $5000 from Benstud’s Craig Judd.

Here’s how you can donate.

Go to https://ebresearch.org.au/donate/ and reference Kate Gath in tribute gift section

WHILE Catch A Wave and Tough Tilly won’t head to the Sunshine State, the hype around Queensland’s Constellations winter carnival just keeps getting better.

The advent of the Rising Sun – the brainchild of former Victorian administrator David Brick – has been inspired and helped take the Constellations to another level.

If we needed any more proof, it came last week with confirmation Ladies In Red would tackle the Rising Sun.

It means a rare – very rare – trip to the Sunshine State for champion Victorian trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin.

And, as a result, they will take another of their emerging stable stars, Beyond Delight, with Ladies In Red.

Off the back of “owning” Menangle’s recent APG 4YO finals, the Queensland raid continues to mark the next evolution of the Stewart/Tonkin juggernaut.

No doubt loads of other Victorian stars will target Queensland as well – headed by Jess Tubbs’ Chariots Of Fire winner Better Eclipse – but to have Stewart and Tonkin in the mix takes it to another level.

FINALLY, the bongo drums are beating about some big and exciting news out of HRV this week.

If the mail is right, it will be another huge show of support for the trotting gait in Victoria.

And it will delight fans of one of our biggest races.

Let’s see how it plays out.

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.