Exciting times ahead as Inter Dominion looms

It is an exciting time for harness racing in New South Wales as the TAB-sponsored Inter Dominion looms.

The first round of heats for both the pacers and the trotters will be run at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday night before the series heads to Bathurst (December 1) and Newcastle (December 5).

Saturday night will also feature heats of the Slingsby Holdings Carousel, a race that has held great interest for the past five decades.

Belinda and Luke McCarthy appear set to dominate on the first night of the Inter Dominion with three of their pacers quoted at short odds to win their respective heats.

King Of Swing has drawn to lead in gate four in the opening heat while Expensive Ego will start from the second tier in heat two.

Spirit Of St Louis is the third of their favoured runners in heat three.

The McCarthys have Humble Ladd engaged in the Trotting Championships and expect the gelding to perform well, despite his lack of recent racing.

But the immediate attention is on the Penrith meeting on Thursday night and while the McCarthys do not have horses racing at the meeting, many of the other leading Sydney stables will be represented.

Four heats of the NSW Breeders Challenge Regional Series for the three-year-olds are filled with interest as pacers vie for spots in the $30,000 Eastern Regional Finals at Newcastle on December 5.

Menangle trainer Rickie Alchin has Our Action Man engaged in the first heat for the colts and geldings.

The son of American Ideal has won six races in a 29-start career and while he hasn’t won since August, his form at ‘Headquarters’ has been respectable in strong company.

He should be hard to beat with his main threat likely to come from Stravinsky, who is chasing a hat-trick of wins.

The second heat of the colts and geldings’ division appears to be a match race between Lets Get Rockin (Jack Callaghan) and Rocket Boy (Jack Trainor).

Both youngsters have been consistent without winning recently and have drawn to be up on the pace.

Cherishthememories has won two on the bounce at Penrith and Menangle and is the one to beat again in the first heat of the Breeders Challenge for the fillies.

Likewise, Girl From Oz is chasing a winning hat-trick in the second heat.

To view the fields for Penrith on Thursday night click here.

To view the fields for Menangle on Saturday night click here.

By Michael Dumesny for HRNSW