The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Inter Dominion Final: Harness racing's pinnacle set to be all fireworks

Editor
8th December, 2015
9

It’s taken me many years to find some genuine lasting affection for harness racing – thoroughbreds are definitely the easier code to become knowledgeable and enjoy for many reasons, but harness has a bit going for it.

The thing that really stands out is that harness horses are always at the races. It’s nothing to back up 16 weeks in a row, running twice a week a few times too.

This means you see a lot more of your favourite pacer or trotter, and that’s a massive difference to thoroughbred horses who rarely put together many consecutive weeks, or are run just a few times before a spell.

And somehow the breeders haven’t yet come into the sport – a number of the best horses are stallions, yet they aren’t sent to the paddock a few days after winning a Group 1.

Inter Dominion heats
It’s been the champion racing in the $1.8 million Inter Dominion series that has stood out in the last few weeks, with three terrific rounds of qualifying heats, culminating in Sunday afternoon’s grand final at Gloucester Park, in Perth.

Credit must go to Sky Racing, who’ve sent over a good crew including Adam Hamilton who do their best in between the wall-to-wall coverage. WA’s quality harness caller Richard ‘Richy’ Bell has been on top of his game throughout the high-class harness races.

But to the horses themselves, the 30 runners in the series amassed some $11,341,989 in prizemoney from a total of 598 wins. The series might be even stronger next year, with stars missing including two-time reigning champion Beautide, and Guaranteed, who’s injured. A host of top Kiwis, headed by Christen Me, should be invited again as well.

Those who have made it still represent a hugely strong final field of qualifiers who have won their way through the heats.

Advertisement

What a final it will be – the richest harness race in the world. Dual Group 1 winner Lennytheshark has been brilliant in his performances in WA, which will see him start as the race favourite. But facing him will be WA’s up and comer Waylade, dual Group 1 winner Philadelphia Man, inside-draw Lovers Delight, and Tasmania’s star Devendra, trained and driven by James Rattray. All bar Waylade have won a race across the total of nine heats.

Inter Dominion Final
In harness racing the barrier draw is all important, and it’s possibly even more so in Western Australia, where harness drivers rarely hand up a leading advantage, which is very different to what you see in other states, and New Zealand.

The barrier draw has seen Lovers Delight draw gate one and his trainer has said he’ll “lead at all costs”, probably his only chance of besting Lennytheshark, who will likely burn out of his favourable gate three draw in order to test Lovers Delight early, before potentially sitting in the breeze.

Philadelphia Man runs from gate 4, while Devendra will have to make his own from barrier 8 with Rattray potentially setting him alight early, or drifting back towards the tail and hoping for speed.

With Sunday afternoon booked for the meet over in WA, the big race is run at 2:50pm local (5:50pm AEDT, 4:50pm AEST).

With $780,000 up for grabs for the winning connections, expect it to be a great race that may just test the clock at Gloucester Park – the track record set at 1:54.7 held by the best ever and three-time Inter Dominion winner, WA’s own Imthemightyquinn.

Take a look at his great 2012 win at Gloucester Park in preparation for the big one on Sunday!

Advertisement
close