King Of Swing’s final act was more than just his historic third Miracle Mile win.

After he ran fifth in the Inter Dominion final on December 11 – his only unplaced run in 33 starts for Team McCarthy – the jury was certainly out on where he sat with the greats of the sport.

But then came his cameo campaign of 2022, the four starts which propelled him right into the league of the modern-day greats.

First came King Of Swing’s second Hunter Cup win, which made him the only horse to have won the Hunter and Miracle Mile twice.

Then, five weeks later, he added that third Miracle Mile.

But the layer beneath the wins is just as important.

It was a month ago I wrote in this column that “The King” was yet to deliver a “wow” moment we’d seen from other all-time greats of the modern era like Blacks A Fake, Im Themightyquinn and Lazarus.

Right on cue, he delivered.

It came when he couldn’t find his beloved spot in the lead, did a power of work in the “death” and still smashed the clock to win his Miracle Mile qualifier.

Then he iced the cake by really having to earn that third Miracle Mile – much more than he did the first two – after a frantic early speed burn last Saturday night.

Only champions do what he did, especially in those last four runs of his career.

“Now you can give him his rightful spot as the best, the number one of the modern era,” part-owner Mick Harvey boomed.

He’s certainly in the conversation now.

A more measured part-owner Glen Moore, also one of Australia’s most respected form students, also had a share in Im Themightyquinn.

This was his take when asked to compare the two greats.

“Until the past few weeks, I’d have said ‘Quinny’ was on a planet of his own, but ‘King’ has gone out in such great fashion,” he said.

“You just can’t underestimate his body of work and the records he has broken.

“After tonight, I’d have to say it’s hard to separate them.

“Quinny had that special explosiveness and could do the most incredible things, but King Of Swing had his own weapons. He could dominate races and take luck out of the equation.

“Quinny won three Inter Dominions and King didn’t win one, but King won three Miracle Miles and Quinny didn’t win any.

“It’s so hard and almost unfair to compare them, but you asked me.

“I’m just incredibly lucky to have been part of some amazing years with both of them.”

King Of Swing’s retirement put the spotlight on the beaten brigade in the Miracle Mile as we look for the sport’s new top seed.

Spirit Of St Louis’s stunning start to 2022 gives him the nod for now.

Had it not been for King Of Swing, Spirit Of St Louis would’ve been unbeaten in six runs this campaign. The seconds were both fantastic in the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile.

Judging by how close he got last Saturday night after getting back and coming wide, you have to think he’d have gone very close if not beaten King Of Swing had he sat on his back, which many expected.

And what about Better Eclipse’s run!

The performance was matched only by the stunning drive of Greg Sugars, who dipped back to the pegs early, weaved through gaps on the home bend to cut the corner and charged late to finish just 3.9m from the winner.

He smashed the clock with his closing splits and showed he’s a pacer really going places.

It’s also the seventh successive year the Chariots Of Fire winner has at least run a place in the Miracle Mile.

Majestic Cruiser's run was also a ripper. He was held-up and locked wheels briefly at a crucial stage and then finished strongly late along the inside for a close fourth.

Don’t be too harsh on Bondi Lockdown. In retrospect, that monstrous Chariots run flattened him, trainer-driver Aaron Dunn never really seemed completely happy with him during the extended time in Sydney and he did spend plenty of petrol late.

He can spell now and reload for races like the Rising Sun and Blacks A Fake in Queensland during winter.

Expensive Ego is the query horse. He’s been a top seed in waiting since finishing second in last year’s Miracle Mile, but this campaign he’s only looked a shadow of that horse.

How good is last week’s stunning NSW Derby winner Leap To Fame?

That was the question on everyone’s lips in the days after the win when owners Kevin and Kay Seymour fielded a string of offers, at least two at $1 million or more, for their young star.

It’s easy to say the Seymours were never going to sell given their financial status and love of harness racing, but although $1 million sounds a lot, think about what Leap Of Fame can race for between now and the end of his four-year-old season alone.

There are races like the $300,000 Rising Sun and $102,000 Queensland Derby during the winter at Albion Park, then the Breeders Crown and Victoria Derby towards the end of the year.

Next year he’s got the Chariots Of Fire, another crack at the Rising Sun and that’s without exploring open-class opportunities which the very best four-year-olds are super competitive in.

Kevin Seymour is certainly a hard marker on his horses. Having raced the likes of Mr Feelgood and Colt Thirty One, he admits he and Kay are still looking for their first champion.

“We’ve waited 50 years to get a champion and he could be the real deal,” Seymour said of Leap To Fame.

There’s no doubting Leap To Fame’s potential, but it is worth noting it was not a strong NSW Derby. There were no Kiwis and the best Victorians weren’t there, either.

And it’s fair to say Akuta in NZ and Catch A Wave in Victoria were the clear benchmark pacers of the crop before Leap To Fame’s emergence.

As good as Leap To Fame was at Menangle last Saturday week, we didn’t see anything to show he’s leap-frogged Akuta or Catch A Wave just yet.

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.