Inter Dom finalists to lock horns again

While in-form Bendigo harness racing trainer-driver Alex Ashwood is hoping for the best in Sunday’s Cobram Trotters Cup, he has a healthy respect for some of his rivals.

Ashwood has seven-year-old gelding Humble Ladd in the $30,000 group two feature which will see him face off with consistent mare Illawong Stardust, prepared at Moama by Tony Peacock. Click here to see fields.

Both contested the $150,000 Inter Dominion Final at Menangle won by Māori Law nearly a month ago—Illawong Stardust running a solid fifth (beaten eight metres) and Humble Ladd in eighth spot, beaten 16 metres.

“We were pleased with our horse when we trialled him just recently. He was pretty sharp and felt the best he has for a while,” Ashwood said.

“But there’s a few in the Cup that are real nice horses like Illawong Stardust, Scallywag Sam and Jackson Square,” he said.

Riverina trainer Tony Peacock said his mare Illawong Stardust was “jumping out of her skin” after returning from her Inter Dominion campaign.

“Her last two Melton efforts were very pleasing, and she has trained on well,” he said.

“I’ve no doubts she will handle the standing start conditions and Brian Gath (driver) is the best in the business at pinging the tapes.”

The standing start conditions should also pose no problems for Humble Ladd, with all but three of the trotters 43 career starts in New Zealand being from the tapes, before being purchased by an Australian group of owners.

Humble Ladd had his first two Australian starts under the standing start conditions in Queensland, when he took out two heats of the Darrell Alexander Trotting Championship. In addition to the two wins, in the care of Belinda and Luke McCarthy in July, the gelding had two Group One runner up cheques, in the Darrell Alexander final, and in the Queensland Trotting Championship.

Ashwood, who has shares in the horse with his partner Tayla French, and a host of co-owners, did all the pre-training work with the horse, but due to changing travel restrictions because of COVID-19, was restricted in taking him away.

He believes the best of the square-gaiter might be yet to come.

“He had a few setbacks after the Albion Park campaign. I don’t think he was 100 percent going into the Inter Dominion series and would have been better suited if it had been two or three weeks later,” he said.

“We work him at home against the pacers. He’s a lovely horse to do anything with and we’ll just poke along with the Great Southern Star in February being his main target.”

Ashwood is coming off a standout season that saw him drive 110 winners and train his first-ever Group One winner when the sensational Parisian Artiste (Love You FRA-Schleck NZ) won the 3yo VicBred Super Series Trotting Colts & Geldings Final at Melton on December 31. He previously claimed G1 status as a driver when successful with Dont Care in December 2020.

Parisian Artiste, now having a good break after a big season, is handled at the races by French—and gave the talented driver her maiden Group One success in 2021. French enjoyed her best ever season, with 69 wins (seven metro) and 110 placings for over $577K in stakes.

The couple are busy building a new training complex at Axedale, featuring a 1000m track. They hope to see it completed by mid-year.

Ashwood said their team of 22 horses included three square-gaiters.

“I haven’t got a preference between trotters or pacers – but I could definitely easily lean toward the trotters if I had a stable full of Parisian Artistes!”