Racing: Victorian pacing hero chasing a magic figure

The Sokyola show is expected to roll on again tonight at Moonee Valley in Melbourne.

The Miracle Mile-Victoria Cup winner is chasing career win number 64 when he contests the A$20,000 ($22,000) Casey Classic (2090m).

The eight-year-old has been virtually unbeatable this season winning seven of his eight runs with his only loss coming in the Kilmore Cup when he was a backmarker off 20m.

Since that defeat in late October Sokyola has won the Legends Mile, the Miracle Mile, the Popular Alm Free-For-All and the Victoria Cup.

Not surprisingly TAB Sportsbet has installed Sokyola as A$1.20 favourite for the Casey Classic.

New Zealander Young Rufus, staying with Ross Payne, is $3.50 second favourite and the only other horse under double-figure odds.

Payne, looking after Young Rufus until trainer-driver Mark Purdon returns in the next fortnight, said the horse had done everything asked of him since his disappointing seventh to Sokyola in the Victoria Cup.

He said Young Rufus' favourable barrier three draw gave him a chance to dictate what would happen early in the race unlike the Victoria Cup when Sokyola charged straight to the front.

"He's been to the beach every day since the Victoria Cup," Payne said.

Young Rufus and Sokyola will use the Casey Classic as a launching pad to the next Grand Circuit race - the South Australian Cup at Globe Derby early in January.

Lance Justice, trainer-driver of Sokyola, said his stable champion had taken no harm from his Victoria Cup win.

Justice described the Victoria Cup as one of the easiest wins in Sokyola's star-studded career.

"If everything pans out I think only bad luck is going to be his danger," Justice said.

Sokyola won a 13 races in 2004 including two group ones.