The Anthony Butt-trained Elite Stride took out the 1,730 metres three-year-old trotting feature race in a 1:58.1 mile rate to provide one of the highlights of the second meeting of the 2020 Gold Crown Carnival.

Having won the Group 1 Need For Speed Prince Final his last start at Melton by a commanding 23.5m, it was little surprise Elite Stride was backed into $1.04 favouritism for the Gold Coronet.

It was a price which proved well justified as, with master reinsman Chris Alford in the gig, the Muscle Hill x Real Babe colt finished 12.4m clear of his closest rival Bacardi Barmaid ($6.50).

"Tonight he just handled that well and he did it quite comfortable in the end," Alford said.

"Trotters are sort of going ahead in leaps and bounds if you look at the times they are running now."

Going from barrier five in the $15,000 Gold Coronet, Alford let two of his rivals stage an early speed battle.

Fox Trot Hill ($51) and Dublin Chubb ($26) both zipped away from the barriers to gap the rest of the field, but as the race unfolded that effort told.

Dublin Chubb paced and broke while Fox Trot Hill was relieved of the lead with around 750m to go. It was Elite Stride who took front spot. From there it was a formality for the favourite who made it four wins from five starts.