VICTORIAN David Moran has won a Chariots Of Fire, but he’s still got a few demons to exorcise at Menangle.

And now he’s got the chance to do so in the world’s richest harness race.

Moran’s exciting three-year-old Captain Hammerhead forced his way into Saturday week’s TAB Eureka with a dominant win in the inaugural $50,000 The Singo at Menangle last night.

It was more than enough to snare him the John Singleton slot, the last of the 10 spots available.

THE mystery horse of the $2.1mil TAB Eureka is on his way to Sydney.

Powerhouse four-year-old Captain Ravishing headed north from Ahmed Taiba’s Sunbury stables to settle in at Menangle ahead of the September 2 feature.

Businessman John Singleton is cutting back his racing interests, but will still make a huge splash at Menangle trots on Saturday night.

Singleton has declared he will “shout the bar” for an hour between races three and five at NSW’s home of harness racing. Race three is at 6.20pm Sydney time.

“The race named after me is race three (The Singo) and I’ve told them we’ll need some think time to decide which horse from the race takes my slot in the TAB Eureka,” Singleton said.

TAKING on the best young pacers in the land won’t be the biggest challenge Ripp has faced through his short career so far.

Leviathan owner Wayne Loader today confirmed four-year-old Ripp, a horse he owns, would race in his slot in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka where he take-on the likes of Leap To Fame, Catch A Wave and others at Menangle on September 2.

Ripp will be an outsider in such elite company, but the powerful gelding is getting used to adversity.

ALL eyes will turn to Shepparton on Thursday night.

That’s where the gifted but now somewhat mysterious pacing star Captain Ravishing will have his first official trial in preparation for the TAB Eureka.

Trainer Ahmed Taiba said Captain Ravishing has recovered from a minor hoof issue after his solo Geelong workout last Friday week.

While the young stars of the sport will headline the TAB Eureka, there are some rich and passionate stories around some great harness racing families and lesser lights trying to snatch the prize, too.

Let’s have a look at them, state-by-state:

HRA CEO Andrew Kelly joins The Morning Line to talk The TAB Eureka Trophy and the latest news in the lead up to the world’s richest harness race.

Rugby league great Benji Marshall is urging everyone to join him at Club Menangle on 2 September for the inaugural running of the world’s richest harness race – the TAB Eureka.

“It’s a privilege to be an ambassador for the TAB Eureka. It’s not something I thought I’d get the opportunity to do. I do like a bit of harness racing and I’m incredibly proud that it’s being hosted for the first time here in Western Sydney, a community that has been a big part of me and where I’m from,” Benji said.

THE world's richest harness race has a trophy befitting its amazing purse.

The trophy for the $2.1mil TAB Eureka - to be run at Club Menangle on September 2 - has been unveiled. And it is spectacular.

THE resurgence of South Australian harness racing has been given another boost with star mare Encipher snaring a berth in the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.

Kadina-bred and owned pacer Encipher will team with the strongly SA-connected slot holders Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock to run in the 2400m feature.

AUSTRALIA’S top three-year-old The Lost Storm is set to continue his TAB Eureka preparation at Ballarat on Friday night.

Co-trainer Emma Stewart said the stunning young pacer had come through his easy last-start Queensland Derby win in great order.

An emerging pacer trained-and-driven by a member of the Rattray family won the inaugural running of a race named after Rattray clan’s greatest horse and one of Tasmania’s all-time best pacers, Beautide.

Just as Beautide lifted under pressure for so many of his biggest wins, four-year-old Magician did just that to win last night’s $80,000 The Beautide (2090m) in Hobart.

AS Collingwood builds towards what most expect will be another AFL Grand Final appearance, a horse named after one of the Magpies’ biggest stars could be headed to a grand final of his own.

TAB Eureka favourite Leap To Fame continued his build-up at Albion Park on Saturday night.

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon said the four-year-old had “two days off” and had come through his monstrous second in last Saturday week’s Blacks A Fake in great style.

“I’d like to get two more runs into him and we’ve got three weekends left, so he’ll be nominated for this Saturday,” Dixon said.

TRAINER Ahmed Taiba insists Captain Ravishing’s TAB Eureka campaign is right on target after a workout between races at Melton last night.

It was the big and bustling four-year-old’s first public appearance since finishing seventh in the Miracle Mile on March 4.

Wonderful Flying Towards TAB Eureka Dream

SHANE Young is heading from Pinjarra to Menangle to chase a dream with the best pacer he’s trained.

Young, who turns 60 next month, is hoping his mighty mare Wonderful To Fly will give him a belated but fairytale birthday present in the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.

Photo by Scott Hamilton Media

TAIBA'S DARING TAB EUREKA PLAN WITH RAVISHING

IN a shock and daring twist, brilliant pacer and leading TAB Eureka contender Captain Ravishing looks set to go into the world’s richest harness race without a lead-up run.

Trainer Ahmed Taiba outlined his daring plan to keep Captain Ravishing fresh and rely on three trials, rather than any races, to prime the powerhouse four-year-old for the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.

CAN the baby of the field win the TAB Eureka?

That’s what many were asking when The Lost Storm, the only three-year-old in the race at this stage, blew his rivals away in last Saturday night’s Group 1 Queensland Derby.

The Lost Storm has won 10 of his 12 starts and co-trainer Clayton Tonkin is insistent he “wasn’t right” when beaten previously.

“He’s potentially as good as we’ve trained,” Tonkin said. “He’s still on the way up and just did it so easily tonight.

“He’s fast, but he’s very strong too.

Yesterday’s UFC 294 schedule announcement means Charles Oliveira will be a late scratching from the inaugural TAB Eureka Carnival.

Oliveira was a key ambassador for the world’s richest harness race, but his next planned fight, just announced, for the UFC lightweight Championship against Islam Makhachev, has been brought forward to October at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.

“I was looking forward to not only being part of the TAB Eureka, but also getting in the bike to race again,” Oliveira said. 

CHAMPION trainer Emma Stewart expects her young gun The Lost Storm to seriously stake his claim for the world’s richest harness race by winning Saturday night’s Group 1 Queensland Derby at Albion Park.

It’s no secret Stewart and her co-trainer Clayton Tonkin think the world of The Lost Storm showed a glimpse why when he thrashed his rivals in a Derby lead-up race in Brisbane last Saturday.