Strong Victorian-bred entries in Inter Dominion series

A total of 15 Victorian-bred harness racing horses will contest the opening round of heats of the Inter Dominion pacing and trotting championships at Newcastle on Friday night.

Curly James, the pre-post favourite for the $500,000 Grand Final at Menangle on December 14, heads a group of five Vicbred pacers contesting the series. The others are Don Lou, Mach Dan, Dangerous and Exotic Bushranger.

Don Lou and Dangerous were both bred by Melbourne enthusiast Harvey Kaplan.

The 10 Victorian-breds in the trotting series include six of the top 10 in early wagering on the $150,000 Grand Final. They are the joint favourite The Locomotive, Keayang Chucky, Parisian Artiste, Royal Dan, Aldebaran Zeus and Constantinople.

Completing the line-up of Vicbred trotters are Aldebaran Vera, Sleepee, Speedy Lover and Keayang Stuka.

Ballarat breeder Pat Driscoll, the principal of Yabby Dam Farms, bred four of the runners in The Locomotive, Keayang Chucky, Parisian Artiste and Royal Dan.

Aldebaran Park, conducted by well-known breeder-owner Duncan McPherson, brought out two contenders in Aldebaran Zeus and Aldebaran Vera.

There are 17 New Zealand-breds among the 36 horses contesting the pacing series, including the highly-fancied pair Tact McLeod and Minstrel. NSW has 11, Victoria five, Tasmania two and Queensland one.

The trotting section comprises 10 Victorian-breds, five from NZ, four from NSW and one from Western Australia.

Among the sires, Bettor’s Delight and Sweet Lou have the largest representation with six, followed by Art Major (5), A Rocknroll Dance (4) and Mach Three (2), while Love You (6), Majestic Son (4), Muscle Hill and Trixton (2 each) head-up the trotting sires.

For complete race entries, click here.

The central Victorian-based Salathiel family landed a notable double at Melton last Saturday with the three-year-olds Kitsune and Marlo Mareau. Kitsune was bred and is owned and trained by Peter Salathiel, while Marlo Mareau was bred by Peter’s cousin Mark and is owned by his daughter Katrina.

Swan Hill identity Gerard Moloney tasted success as a breeder on the other side of the Tasman last Friday with the three-year-old trotting filly Loteria, a decisive winner at Auckland.

Ross Gange, who for many years was one of Victoria’s leading studmasters, figures as the breeder and part-owner of comeback pacer Big Bad Ossie, who scored a last stride win at the Shepparton midweek meeting.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink