Clash of the titans with Ride High and Lochinvar Art poised to meet at Melton on Saturday night

Only a late change of plans will thwart the first clash of superstar Aussie pacers Ride High and Lochinvar Art at Melton next Saturday night.

Ride High’s trainer Clayton Tonkin confirmed the pacing powerhouse would chase his 17th win from just 18 starts in the $30,000 Minuteman Free-For-All (2240m), while Lochinvar Art’s trainer-driver David Moran said it was “very likely” his charge would be there as well.

Lochinvar Art smashed the clock from a horror draw, and after doing all the work when a mighty second to Hurricane Harley in track record time at Bendigo on Saturdaty night. He was timed to run his last mile of the 2150m race in a mind-blowing 1min50.9sec, some of it three and even four-wide.

“His run was massive under the circumstances,” Moran said. “And, as I said going into it, he needed the run. He’ll take a lot out of it.

“I’ll give him the day to make sure he’s come through it well, which he seems to have, and make a final decision on Monday, but I will most likely back him up next week.

“He thrives on racing every week and he needs the hard racing to be right at his top for the (Victoria) Cup.”

Confirmation Ride High will run this week means he will almost certainly bypass the $50,000 Group 2 Smoken Up Sprint (1720m) at Melton on October 3 and continue his routine of racing every second-week by going straight to the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup (2240m) on October 10.

Ride High winning at Melton. Picture: Stuart McCormickSource:Supplied

This week’s race could be even bigger than the first clash of Ride High and Lochinvar Art with the possibility reigning NZ Cup winner Cruz Bromac and the gifted Code Bailey may also run.

“This week is a chance. Dean (Braun, trainer) is weighing-up his options between this week or waiting for the Smoken Up the week after. He’ll decide in the next couple of days,” Cruz Bromac’s managing owner Danny Zavitsanos said.

Cruz Bromac hasn’t raced since finishing fifth in the Auckland Cup last New Year’s Eve when he developed a fetlock injury soon after.

In other Victoria Cup news, it’s growing increasingly likely Sydney sensation Cash N Flow will stretch-out from his beloved sprint racing to the 2240m of the Cup.

Cash N Flow won a staggering 12th successive Menangle mile race on Saturday night and broke the magical 1min50sec mark for a record eighth time.

“We’ll chat with the owners and make the final call, but we’re not worried about him going out to 2240m, especially the form he’s in at the moment,” driver Luke McCarthy said.

Cash N Flow’s trainer Craig Cross is also planning Victoria Cup raids with Balraj, Zennart and possibly others from his stellar open-class crop.

Originally published asSuperstars clash set for Saturday night

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