Battle for Australian Inter Dominion ticket

Trained in Ireland by harness racing Mark and William Flanagan, Meadowbranch DJ is only two points off the top in the Anglo-Irish Inter Dominion series after three rounds. The final stage, back at the distance he set a track record at in round one, will be run on Sunday in Portmarnock, Ireland. The current leader he needs to beat is his duelling partner from across the sea, Brywinsmagicpotion.

The now retired to stud Mystery Chase racked up twenty-nine wins at the track and amassed prize-money of $774,677. He was a sub 1:50 performer and won the Meadowlands Pace Consulation as a three year-old. However his best achievement has to be finishing second to Somebeachsomewhere, the day he broke the world record and put himself into the harness racing history books. He now stands at stud at Meridian Farms in High River, Alberta.

His full brother, three years his junior, was purchased at the Harrisburg Standardbred Horse Sales in Hanover when Meadowbranch Stables bought his pregnant dam. They originally went to buy Mystery Chase, but found themselves the under bidders, thus settling for his full brother. Meadowbranch DJ since has not disappointed his connections; with over twenty thousand pounds sterling in prize money as a multiple free-for-all winner. He dominated the curtain raiser to the Anglo-Irish Inter Dominion series at York in June, breaking the track record in his ten-length romp.

The chief challenger from Great Britain however, Brywinsmagicpotion, wasn’t allowing Mystery Chase’s brother to have it all his own way, fighting back to beat him in the second round. It was a gutsy performance and unsurprisingly another track record fell by the wayside as the pair pushed past breaking point to secure the sole ticket to Australia. At York last Saturday, both had to settle for second and third, as the Scottish Astounding led from pillar to post to take the third stage, in the third track record in as many races. He however can’t win overall, having missed the second stage. This confirms the race as a two-horse event, with Brywinsmagicpotion just ahead with it all to play for come Sunday.

For Mark and William Flanagan winning the series would give them a second chance in Australia, having taken Sable Matters in 1997 to the Inter Dominion but for him to pick up an injury at the last moment. Mark Flanagan concluded “We’ve done it before, why not do it again? Dermot Weld won the Melbourne Cup, why couldn’t we win the Inter Dominion?”

By Michael Andrews