Aussie Art aiming high

By Adam Hamilton

DAVID Moran is looking forward to catching-up on lost opportunities with Australia’s most exciting pacer Lochinvar Art.

The Chariots Of Fire winner and Miracle Mile runner-up is back in work after a short spell.

And Moran initially has his sights sets on the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 10, especially with news of a stakemoney hike to $300,000 for the race once regarded as the Cox Plate of harness.

Moran is also “looking very seriously” at a Perth raid in November now RWWA and Gloucester Park are bringing forward WA’s two biggest open-class features, the $300,000 Fremantle Cup to November 20 and the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup to December 4.

“This year has been a bit of a shambles with COVID, but it’s good to see some of the big races being confirmed for late in the year,” Moran said.

“I really had no option but to turn him out for a while with no good races for him. He’s enjoyed the break and won’t take that long to bring back up again.”

HRV announced the Victoria Cup boost along with increased stakemoney and a welcomed format change for Victoria’s top trotting race, the Great Southern Star.

“We are pleased to announce prizemoney increases to two of our major events for the Great Southern Star to be returning to its exciting original format,” HRV’s Stephen Bell said.

The Great Southern Star will headline an all-trotting card at Melton on the Friday night before the Hunter Cup as part of an enhanced 2021 Summer of Glory.

Most importantly, it will go back to a heat and final event with the two $50,000 heats being run the same night as the $300,000 final.

The announcements follow HRV moving the Breeders Crown to November and the Vicbred series to December, culminating in a stellar night of finals on New Year’s Eve at Melton.