(Andrew Bensley is a leading commentator with Sky Racing and Sky Sports Radio.)

Victoria's best night of harness racing will be at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night when the BIG6 Hunter Cup and the Alabar Victoria Derby are run for the first time at the new home of harness racing.

Twelve months ago, these races were run at the Moonee Valley farewell meeting. But Harness Racing Victoria chief executive, John Anderson, sees a bright future at Melton.

All pre-sale tickets are sold out for function and corporate rooms, with the crowd expected to be larger than December's Victoria Cup meeting.

Anderson said since having moved harness racing to Tabcorp Park Melton, crowds every Friday night regularly have surpassed the Moonee Valley figures.

HRV is planning further enhancements to Tabcorp Park, with one main aim to provide more undercover seating.

HRV has a further 87 hectares of land to expand on over the next five years and strongly believes harness racing is in a great position for the future.

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The BIG6 Hunter Cup will be the battleground for some of the best pacers in Australasia.

After having savoured success with Stunin Cullen last weekend in the Ballarat Cup, the Kiwis are back with four genuine chances.

The hopes of trainer Brendon Hill and driver John Caldow were enhanced with Power Of Tara starting from gate two in the 3280 metre staying test.

Power Of Tara produced a career best run for second in the Ballarat Cup and Caldow feels the Hunter Cup will suit the horse even more. Power of Tara has become a proven standing-start horse and should be on the pace from his draw.

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Another New Zealander with a great chance of taking the spoils in the $425,000 BIG6 Hunter Cup is Smiling Shard.

Brilliant young driver Dexter Dunn will be chasing another Group One win at Melton aboard the promising pacer following a Breeders Crown win last year. Dunn also captured the 2009 Victoria Cup at Melton aboard Bettors Strike.

Dunn and trainer Cran Dalgety eased Smiling Shard into standing-start races with the horse now very capable of stepping away cleanly and quickly.

Smiling Shard has been staying on-course for more than a week and his workout last Sunday was a big confidence boost for Dalgety.

The Alabar Victoria Derby is just one of the other features at Tapcorp Park Melton on Saturday night. Royal Verdict is the favourite after having secured gate two.

The race was rocked earlier this week by the shock death of The Muskeg Express after a training exercise. You have to feel for prominent owner Kevin Seymour and trainer Luke McCarthy, who have lost one of the most promising three-year-olds in the Southern Hemisphere.

Trainer Ian Dornauf has finished third with two runners in previous Victoria Derbies but he rates Royal Verdict his best hope because of the expected improvement he should make following last week's placing in a Derby heat.

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The SEW Eurodrive Australasian Trotting Championship may not have Sundons Gift but the clash of Down Under Muscles, I Can Doosit and Let Me Thru won't let anyone down.

Sundons Gift's trainer Chris Lang has Let Me Thru at the peak of his form for the final. From six starts, Let Me Thru hasn't lost a race at Melton and showed great fight last Saturday at Ballarat when challenged over the concluding stages in his heat.

It's going to be a great night for harness racing on Saturday and even if you're not a regular, tune in and catch some of the thrilling action.