THE four-year-old entires and geldings final promises to be the highlight of an epic Vicbred finals night on New Year’s Eve.

When you combine this year’s field with the honour roll of the race, you get the picture.

The past two winners have been Honolua Bay and Lochinvar Art. Go back a bit further and you’ll find Lennytheshark and Soho Tribeca on that list. Delve even deeper and former pacing greats Shakamaker, Safe And Sound and Bag Limit have won the final, too.

The depth of Saturday night’s decider is underlined by the fact three Inter Dominion finalists are among the 12 finalists: Act Now, Better Eclipse and Narutac Prince.

But it’s the fresh player, Major Moth, who looks the one to beat.

The former star juvenile has returned to racing in stunning style after 12 months out with injury.

Each win has looked better and there was a real slice of arrogance and dominance about the way he withstood the challenges and even pulled away late to win his semi-final with ease.

He’s landed a good draw in gate three, but does have the other semi-final winner, Better Eclipse, inside him (gate two).

Act Now will need to run out of his skin as his seventh run in 35 days to overcome gate 10.

If there’s a blowout, it could be Rickie Alchin’s NSW raider One Big Shew. He’s been running fantastic races from awful draws and finally snags the pole for the final.

Another stirring clash looms in the 4YO mares’ final with Tough Tilly drawn the back row again (10), while main danger Dougs Babe should stroll to the front from gate four.

Dougs Babe, who has been sold to the US and is now in the care of Sonya Smith, looked awesome winning her semi and has shown she’s right there with Tough Tilly at her best.

But Tough Tilly overcame adversity to gun-down leader and favourite Tay Tay in her semi and is the proven big occasion player with four Group 1 wins, including victory over Ladies In Red in the 2YO Vicbred final, already in the bank.

Tough Tilly is one of three “mega” drives for Kate Gath on New Year’s Eve.

She’s also aboard superstar three-year-old filly Encipher, who will dominate betting from the pole.

Encipher ran second to her now stablemate Amore Vita in last year’s Vicbred final, but has gone to another level with eight wins from nine starts since.

Amore Vita broke a nine-race losing streak with a dominant semi win and should get her chance from gate three in the final.

Gath’s most fascinating drive is gifted three-year-old Catch A Wave.

Not much went right in his semi from an outside back row draw, but Catch A Wave struggled late into fifth spot.

Whatever way you look at it, he ran below his best.

But and this is a huge but, he’s drawn gate three in the final and that explosive early speed of his should see him run straight to the front.

It’s a D-Day of sorts for Catch A Wave with races like the Chariots Of Fire and the inaugural TAB Eureka on the horizon.

In the two-year-old finals, The Lost Storm just looks a league above his rivals and although it’s never easy from the back row (gate 12), he should be good enough to overcome it.

While Stewart and Tonkin’s recent stable addition Joyful is clear top pick from gate three in the 2YO fillies’ final after making it four wins from as many starts for the stable in her semi.

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.