Harder for New South Wales stars at The Creek

NSW has the quantity but may lack the quality to successfully defend either Inter Dominion harness racing title at Albion Park tomorrow (Saturday) night.

It was a golden year for the home state horses when the NSW-trained Don Hugo and The Locomotive won the pacing and trotting finals respectively at Menangle last December.

Don Hugo (Art Major) heads five NSW-trained finalists in this 12-horse pacing final and the emergency, Jimmy Rattray’s Nyack, is also based in NSW.

But Queensland champion Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight), who missed last year’s Inter Dominion through illness, looks set to dominate the pacing final.

Grant Dixon’s six-year-old won all three heats and the final of the 2023 Brisbane Inter Dominion and has arrogantly won both heats by big margins and in the fastest times of the night in this series.

Despite drawing awkwardly in gate one, Leap To Fame is so dominant and so superbly suited by the marathon 3157m trip, he is $1.20 to snare a second Inter Dominion crown.

For context, no pacer has started anywhere near that short. The previous hottest favourite was former Kiwi champion Elsu, when he started $1.55 and romped home in the 2005 Auckland series.

The betting says Don Hugo is NSW’s best chance to upstage Leap To Fame. He is $8 second favourite from gate seven. Then comes Captains Knock (gate 9, $15), Max Delight (11, $21), Cya Art (four, $61) and Petes Said So (five, $101). Nyack is a $41 shot if gains a start.

Remarkably, eight-year-old Petes Said So will contest his fourth successive Inter Dominion final at his 215th race start. His best results were sixth in 2022 and 2024.

He’s one of two runners for Menangle trainers Kerry Ann and Robbie Morris and Robbie will take the reins.

This is also nine-year-old Max Delight’s fourth Inter Dominion series, but this will only be the third final he has contested.

The David Aiken-trained marvel, who boasts almost $1.4 million in earnings, ran third to Boncel Benjamin way back in 2021 and then third to Don Hugo last year.

“He’s going at least as well as ever. He’s amazing, the old guy,” Aiken said.

“His two heat runs were terrific from bad draws and having to work hard. We haven’t had a lot of luck in the draw again (for the final), but he’s such a great stayer he will enjoy the long trip (3157m). He’s run great races in the Hunter Cup over distance and has won a 2900m race.

“We’re all racing for minor money behind Leap To Fame, who’s the best pacer I’ve seen in this part of the world, but I think old Max is as good as anything else in the race, especially over this distance.”

Like Aiken, Captains Knock’s trainer-driver Brad Hewitt is resigned to chasing a minor placing in the final.

“He’s flying and the draw is better this time. I think he’s got a terrific place chance with luck in running,” he said.

Although the trotting final is more open, London To A Brick will need a lot to go right from the back row (gate 11), while Constantinople has a nice trailing draw, but would need to improve on his form through the heats.

Star Victorian Arcee Phoenix (gate one, $2.50) and exciting young Kiwi trotter Bet N Win (gate five, $3.50) are the trotting big guns.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia