SUPERSTAR four-year-old EXPENSIVE EGO has unfinished business at Melton.

The only time he’s been down to Melbourne proved a complete and utter shambles in the Group 1 4YO Bonanza and left some Victorians doubting the huge buzz around him.

Fair to say he’s deemed himself since through a stunning Chariots Of Fire win and arguably even bigger run when second to King Of Swing in the Miracle Mile.

Most left Miracle Mile night thinking they’d seen the next big thing in the sport.

But all of that has been in his own backyard, Menangle, and now he returns to the scene of his last horror show, Melton, to try and add another Group 1 win in Saturday night’s $210,000 4YO Australian Gold final.

Before we talk about his opposition this week, let’s dissect that Bonanza run a bit further, through the eyes of co-trainer and driver Luke McCarthy.

“It was a total forgive run,” he said. “We thought he could go down and sit parked and win, he’s that good, but then he drew the one barrier we didn’t want, inside the back row.

“Everything went wrong that could. He got an early check, lost his rhythm and then then we was just getting a head of full of steam again at the top of the straight, he was knocked down again.”

McCarthy’s message is clear, don’t assume Expensive Ego won’t be comfortable around Melton because of that one run.

Standing in his way will be much-improved and hugely exciting local MACH DAN, who has been brilliant winning all six runs this campaign, albeit dictating most of those races. Group 1 Vicbred winner PACIFICO DREAM is another major player.

But this is Expensive Ego’s race to lose, especially after he returned from a break with a career-best 1:48.6 mile and 18-metre winning margin in his Gold heat at Menangle last week.

He just won’t want to draw inside the back row again.

THIS shapes as an epic - Friday night’s $200,000 Group 1 Sky Racing WA Derby has all the ingredients of an old-fashioned match race. With respect to their rivals, it’ll be a massive shock if LAVRA JOE or JUMPINGJACKMAC don’t win.

Just a month ago, most had conceded the race to Lavra Joe, but Jumpingjackmac’s emergence and the bullishness of his trainer, Gary Hall Sr, has shifted the dial.

Of course barriers will be crucial, but both are outstanding, versatile and at the peak of their powers.

You have to lean to Lavra Joe because of the long 2536m trip and his mighty staying qualities.

But Hall Sr has trained great three-year-olds like King Of Swing, Chicago Bull, Alta Christiano and others and he says Jumpingjackmac is the best of the lot.

Catch the clash on Sky Racing Friday night.

A COUPLE of months back a good judge told me Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin had their best juvenile crop yet.

It seemed a huge call given the stunning dominance they’ve enjoyed in Australian juvenile racing, especially Victoria, in recent years.

But the good judge is just that – a good judge – for a reason based on what we’ve seen over the past three weeks.

PETILLANTE, IRISH BLACK LABEL, FIAMMA and BEACH VILLA have all looked a bit special.

Beach Villa, POSTER BOY’S baby brother, looked green and raw, but the way he put a big gap on them coming to the final bend and oozed a work in progress was super exciting.

WATCHING the superb action from Auckland’s Alexandra Park last Friday night left me wanting.

Not for more on the night itself, but wanting to see so many of the Kiwi stars back on our side of the ditch in our big races.

COVID-19 has robbed us of so much, most notably a spirited Trans-Tasman rivalry which is such a big part of our racing.

Thankfully mighty Kiwi mare Stylish Memphis gave a sniff when she enjoyed a bumper NSW Carnival of Miracles, but that also left us wanting more … wanting to see the likes of SELF ASSURED, COPY THAT, KRUG, et cetera in Australia.

With huge credit to the innovation Queensland industry, its new Constellations Carnival in a couple of months promises to reignite a fair chunk of the rivalry. Kiwi superstars Krug and Copy That are headed our way.

Fascinatingly, Krug has taken one of only two available wildcard spots for three-year-olds in the inaugural Group 1 Rising Sun, a race predominately for four-year-olds. Krug, as a three-year-old, will have the advantage of a preferential draw.

There’s a real buzz about Queensland harness again and they’ve made winter their own with so many other states banking on the October/March window for their features.

Before then, keep watching the great Kiwi action on Sky Racing in the countdown to a ripper Harness Jewels meeting at Cambridge on June 6.

CLICK BELOW IMAGE FOR MORE FROM SKY RACING'S COLUMNISTS: