However, Smolda will not be racing.

The New Zealander will lead out the field for the $20,000 Ballarat Lightning Mile –  the feature event on the Boxing Day program.

Trained by champion horseman Mark Purdon, Smolda is being stabled in Ballarat while preparing for Harness Racing Victoria’s Summer of Glory Carnival.

The guest appearance will be Smolda's first since he took out the Inter-Dominion Championship final in Perth earlier this month.

Ballarat and District Trotting Club chief executive officer Paul Rowse said it was great that connections had accepted an invitation to parade Smolda at Bray Raceway at one of the BDTC’s biggest race meetings of the year.

Cardigan trainer Emma Stewart is making a major play to snare the Lightning Mile for a first time.

She has three runners in the fifth edition of the 1609m dash – Metro Mike, Young Modern and Major Secret.

Metro Mike has drawn the pole and is a short-priced favourite in a TAB.com.au market.

He has the fastest winning mile rate of the eight runners, having record 1:51.6 in April this year.

Tee Cee Bee Macray is next in the market. Trained by Alan Tubbs at Bacchus Marsh, Tee Cee Bee Macray is one of Victoria’s emerging pacers – with 12 wins in 22 starts.

Rowse believes there is every chance the track record for 1609m could be broken.

Smoken Up set the record of 1:53.1 in the Lightning Mile in 2014, which was equalled by Abettorpunt in the same event in the following season.

Keayang Cullen won the feature last year in 1:53.3.

Fastest winning mile rates by each Lightning Mile starter: Metro Mike 1:51.6, It Is Billy 1:53.3, Jilliby Jagger 1:51.9, Classy Western 1:55, Tee Cee Bee Macray 1:53.6, Young Modern 1:54.7, Charlie Machsheen 1:53.6, Major Secret 1:55.1.

The race meeting also features the $10,000 Snowball C0 Series final, 2200m.

Heats were run at Maryborough and Charlton.

Long Forest trainer Andy Gath and his reinswoman wife Kate are looking to extend their excellent run in Ballarat in the Snowball final.

The Gaths combined for a treble at Bray Raceway on Friday, December 16. They have two starters in the final – 4yo mare Novena Rose, which finished fourth in the Maryborough heat; and Urban Tiger, which was third in the Charlton heat.

Kath Gath takes the drive on Novena Rose.

Four events for trotters on the nine-race card will be televised in France.