Grimson the gypsy trainer

Young gun harness racing trainer Jason Grimson’s Victoria raid has just started.

Fresh from completing back-to-back upset Inter Dominion pacing final wins, the NSW-based Grimson is staying in Victoria to chase more Group 1 glory.

And it starts in next Saturday night’s $100,000 Cranbourne Cup where he will have at least two runners, including Fire Fox (Sweet Lou) and his latest stable addition Major Meister (Art Major).

Then comes races like the Vicbred series, along with Bendigo, Ballarat and Hunter Cups through January and early February.

“They call me a gypsy now because I’m never at home, just travelling around the carnivals with my horses,” Grimson laughed. “I’ve cut the team right back so I can stay on the road and take them all with me.”

The 29-year-old Grimson was a virtual unknown on a national stage this time last year when he caused one of the greatest upsets in Inter Dominion history with $41 shot Boncel Benjamin, who was second past the post but awarded victory on protest over Expensive Ego at Menangle.

I Cast No Shadow came from behind the leader to win as a $17 chance on Saturday (Dec. 10).

Since his breakthrough win with Boncel Benjamin, Grimson has become one of Australasia’s major open-class Group 1 training forces with victories including the Blacks A Fake in Brisbane (with Majestic Cruiser), Messenger in Auckland (Majestic Cruiser), Len Smith in Sydney (I Cast No Shadow) and now a second Inter Dominion title.

Grimson also trained Majestic Cruiser to run terrific seconds in the huge NZ Cup/NZ Free-For-All double in Christchurch last month.

While Majestic Cruiser didn’t recapture his best form through the Inter Dominion and missed qualifying for the final, I Cast No Shadow just scraped into the big one and his chances soared when he drew ideally in gate one.

“Jason was confident and I started to believe we had a winning chance when we drew the pole,” driver Cam Hart said.

“He’s just an amazing horseman. The little things he does, the gear changes he makes. That was all the difference with I Cast No Shadow.

“He didn’t finish-off his race in the last round of heats, so Jason took off the pull-down blinds (blinkers) which he’s raced in the whole time he’s had him and he hit the line like a different horse this time.”

It was Hart’s first Inter Dominion win having driven Majestic Cruiser to finish sixth for Grimson last year, while Josh Gallagher won on stablemate Boncel Benjamin.

“To team-up with Jase to win it is amazing. He’s been such a huge supporter and we’re great mates,” Hart said.

“This is the race I grew up dreaming of winning as a young kid in Junee. Now two boys from the Riverina have teamed-up to win it.”

Superstar driver Greg Sugars added to the “back-to-back” theme of Inter Dominion finals night when he won the trotting final for the second successive year.

Sugars won his first Inter Dominion final on pick-up drive Maori Law at Menangle last year, but said last night’s win was “next level special” because he teamed with wife, Jess Tubbs, and their stable star Just Believe.

“This just means so much and to do it the way he did, from the bad draw and after doing the work was fantastic,” Sugars said.

Tubbs added: “It’s such a family effort at our stable. I’m a bit lost for words, actually. It means the world to us. He tries his guts out and to go through the series (three heats and the final) unbeaten makes it even more amazing.”

by Adam Hamilton, for Newscorp