While we justifiably bemoan the lack of depth in our top open class ranks, gee the future looks bright.

Look at the snapshot last night delivered across the Melton and Menangle meetings.

Let’s start with the “Queen” (aka Ladies In Red) because she deserves that.

We are so used to seeing her overcome bad barriers and adversity to win, it was almost a letdown to see her hardly raise a sweat to post her sixth Group 1 win in the $100,000 Queen of the Pacific at Melton.

As we’ve seen with many greats over the years, if you’re consistently too good for your rivals, you earn an intimidation factor. And Ladies In Red has earned exactly that.

It’s why champion driver Anthony Butt built his entire race aboard emerging NSW mare Braeview Kelly around Ladies In Red.

No doubt he’d love to have beaten her, but Butt’s one of the best because he drove to get the best possible outcome on Braeview Kelly at her first test in the big league. She just wasn’t good enough, not yet anyway.

Some cried foul when Butt fought to hold-out Tough Tilly at the start, then meekly surrendered the front to Ladies In Red. But that was his plan … stalk the champ and put his other main danger, Tough Tilly, back behind him.

Ladies In Red won as she liked, Tough Tilly scooted through the inside to run second and Butt finished third, which was his best possible result on what Braeview Kelly showed us last night.

Ladies In Red is the greatest modern day pacing mare Australia has produced and we’ll get to see a lot more of her in coming months through the Breeders Crown and Vicbred series.

If you’re like me, you’re longing for the next time she takes on the boys, which will likely be in the Miracle Mile on the first Saturday in March, next year.

Also at Melton, Stewart and Tonkin also won the 4&5YO Championship at Melton with four-year-old Act Now, who looks right back to the form which saw him dominate some three-year-old features last season.

It was some sort of win, too. Multiple Group 1 winner Better Eclipse looked to have Act Now done for all money, but Jodi Quinlan lifted Act Now and he snatched a nose victory.

Now to Menangle and THAT three-year-old Leap To Fame.

We started this season excited about the bumper crop of three-year-olds across Australia and NZ.

Leap To Fame finishes his season the undisputed best of the lot. His 12 starts for the term netted nine wins, two seconds and a third.

He became the first three-year-old since Captain Joy to win the big three Aussie Derbys – Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

And his past two “major” wins in the Victoria Derby and last Saturday night’s NSW Breeders Challenge final were the stuff of champions.

Leap To Fame sat parked and broke the Australasian 3YO record with his 1min49sec flat. He never got a sniff of the marker pegs at any stage.

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon declared him the best horse he’s had after he won the NSW Derby in February and he’s only got better since.

Sticking with Menangle, could Major Delight be the next Ladies In Red for trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin?

OK, that might be a bold early call, but she’s super exciting.

Six wins from as many starts, two Australasian records and Major Delight is still raw and green.

The way she sat parked and crushed main rival and favourite Peaceful was stunning.

Adding to my excitement was a few key words from Stewart: “We think she’s something special.”

Picture: Leap to Fame with thanks to Racing Queensland

You simply have to marvel at the splash young NSW trainer Jason Grimson has made in Group 1 open class ranks.

Many hadn’t heard of the former Riverina horseman before he won last December’s Inter Dominion pacing final with rank outsider Boncel Benjamin.

Since then, Grimson has won the Group 1 Messenger in NZ and Group 1 Blacks A Fake in Queensland with Majestic Cruiser.

Last Saturday night he added the Group 1 Len Smith Mile with I Cast No Shadow.

What makes it even more remarkable is all three horses have been cast-offs from other stables and all four of their Group 1 wins have been at $17 or better odds.

Picture: I Cast No Shadow with thanks to Club Menangle

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.