One of the most prestigious races of the harness season will take centre stage at Vesey Street on Boxing Day.Drivers in four separate age divisions will compete for bragging rights in the popular Stakes Races that have been included in the day’s 33 scheduled heats.The eventual winners of the two, three and four-year-old and aged Stakes Races will be determined by combined average fastest times recorded on the racetrack.The two-year-old Stakes Races will feature four all-Bermuda bred horses that will compete in two heats, while the same amount will compete in the scheduled two heats in the three-year-old Stakes Race.There are only two horses registered in the four-year-old Stakes Race that will comprise of two heats, while the aged division will feature as many as nine horses that will compete in three heats.Among this year’s pre-race favourites is Colin Mello’s stud, Big Red Machine, that set a new track record (1.0¼) in his last outing at Vesey Street.“We are in really good form but there’s a few others that are coming in real good form as well,” Mello said. “Pretty much all the horses in the aged division are hitting their fastest times right now.”Mello hopes his fortunes will take a turn for the better after not enjoying the best of times in last year’s Stakes Races.“Last year we didn’t have a good year in the Stakes Races, we kept having miscues,” he said. “But hopefully we can change that this year.“It should be a very competitive race and could come down to the luck of the draw I think.”Sports Minister Glenn Blakeney will be on hand to present the trophies to the eventual winners of the Stakes Races.In the event of inclement weather, organisers have confirmed that the Boxing Day Stakes Races will be held the following day instead.