WA Pacing Cup winner Inter Dominion bound

Freshly-crowned WA Pacing Cup champion Minstrel (Rocknroll Hanover) is Inter Dominion-bound.

The style of Minstrel’s career-best harness racing win last Friday night and the absence of superstars Leap To Fame and Swayzee convinced Team Bond to book Minstrel on a flight.

Minstrel will fly from Perth to Melbourne on Monday week and then be floated to Sydney soon after.

“We had a good chat about it after his (WA Cup) win, and it makes sense. We’ve never had him better, and with those big two missing, it makes it really attractive,” Greg Bond said.

“He’ll handle the series and there’s nothing at home for him for a while.”

“The only downside is that it means we’ll probably have to take him back home by road, but we can do that after the series and still have plenty of time to get him right for the big races at home in April.”

Minstrel will be one of the favourites in an Inter Dominion lacking depth.

Swayzee’s trainer, Jason Grimson, ruled out the Inter Dominion after he successfully defended his Inter Dominion crown at Addington yesterday.

“He’s not running in the (NZ) free-for-all on Friday or the Inter Dominion. He’s going home for a bit of a break before the next leg of the (NSW Carnival) Cups,” he said.

And Leap To Fame’s trainer-driver Grant Dixon said it was “very unlikely” his champ would tackle the Inter Dominion after his recent health scares.

“We’ll make a final decision when Trista and I get back home (from NZ), but getting him healthy again is the only focus,” he said.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia