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Stewart and partner Clayton Tonkin’s focus has long been young horses, but their dominance through the first of this Inter Dominion has been remarkable.

The Ballarat couple has won four of the six pacing heats so far and have odds-on favourites in the three remaining heats – Honolua Bay, Mach Dan and Act Now – at Geelong on Saturday night.

What’s scary is their two best pacers – champion mare Ladies In Red and freakish three-year-old Captain Ravishing – are not in the Inter Dominion.

Should they qualify five finalists, Stewart and Tonkin will equal the record set by champion NZ training team Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen from the Auckland final in 2019.

“The Inter Dominion has never really been a focus of ours,” Stewart said. “Our business model has been the two and three-year-olds and you can wear the tread out early that way.

“It’s been a big thing to get right. It’s taken a lot of time and changing up lots of things we do to get a lot of horses right through to Grand Circuit racing and an Inter Dominion this year.

“Having the water-walker has been a huge part of that, especially with these older horses.”

Stewart and Tonkin have the top three and five of the top eight on the points table where 12 pacers qualifying for Saturday week’s Grand Final at Melton.

“All five of them are live chances, too,” Stewart said. “It’s been incredible so far and all of them seem to be thriving on the racing.”

So, who is the stable’s best chance?

“I would lean to Act Now. His two runs so far have been super and he’s drawn well at Geelong (barrier one),” Stewart said. “When the chips are down, you can count on him. He’s a fighter.

“Honolua Bay has been incredible this series. He’s a horse we thought long and hard about even running in the series because he’s had injuries in the past and he’s never been really brave.

“But his two runs have been fantastic and he’s done work both times. The hard racing he’s had in the big races like the Victoria Cup and Sydney (Len Smith Mile) have really toughened him up.”

Driver David Moran agreed: “He’s always had high speed, but he’s a different horse. There’s no reason he can’t go all the way.”

Honolua Bay is the only pacer in the series after two nights and is $1.60 to complete a clean sweep at Geelong.

“Mach Dan is so consistent and his win at Shepparton (Tuesday) was very good,” Stewart said.

“And don’t sell Beyond Delight short. He can’t do the work the others can, but his speed is lethal. If he gets a soft run in the final and the last shot at them, he’s a winning chance for sure.”

The fields for the pacing and trotting finals will be confirmed after the final round of heats at Geelong and the vital barrier draws done next Monday.

by Adam Hamilton, for Newscorp