Draws not favouring Queen Elida and Minstrel in ID finals

[Wandering Eyes]

By Adam Hamilton 

A shock third round heat defeat and tricky barrier draw has seen Kiwi-owned mare Queen Elida’s odds drift sharply for the Inter Dominion trotting final.

The Brent Lilley-trained mare, who has run third in the past two finals, was $3 for the final before last night, but is out to $6.50.

She will start from barrier five and despite having loads of early speed, her two main dangers – The Locomotive (gate four, $1.55) and Keayang Chucky (three, $5) – hve drawn inside her for the 2300m race at Menangle next Saturday night.

The biggest shock of the trotting series came when Queen Elida was rundown late after a perfect run by underrated Victorian Parisian Artiste in the second of last night’s heats.

Driver Chris Alford opted to trail leader Royal Dan instead of pushing for the front and had Parisian Artiste on his back.

Royal Dan was gone at the 350m, so Alford popped out and went for him, but despite Parisian Artiste hanging and veering out a lot in the last 150m, he got up to snatch the win.

Emerging mare Aldebaran Vera made late ground for third to give trainer Marg Lee, of Keayang Zahara fame, a remarkable three finalists. Keayang Chucky and Keayang Stuka being the others.

Former top Victorian juvenile The Locomotive also went through the heats unbeaten after winning a thrilling stoush with the classy Keayang Chucky last night.

Jason Lee led on Keayang Chucky, but was happy to trail and stalk The Locomotive and got with 2.1m in a blazing 1min55.5sec mile rate for 2300m, just 0.1sec outside the winner’s own track record.

“I was wary of how good and sharp the horse was trailing me so I tried to take some gas out of him with the 27.6sec down the back,” The Locomotive’s trainer-driver Brad Hewitt said.

“The plugs are in, but the cord broke so maybe there was still even more there. Once the other horse first came at him, he was never going to get me.”

Last year’s Inter Dominion runner-up Mufasa Metro made ground from a long way back for third to make the final, but he was still beaten almost 25m last night.

Plymouth Chubb, who ran extra well in his first two heats, got well back and made no impact back in sixth spot raising queries about how well he’s handling the series.

GRAND FINAL DRAW

Front Row

1. Toro Stride ($151)
2. Aldebaran Vera ($26)
3. Keayang Chuckie ($5)
4. The Locomotive ($1.55)
5. Queen Elida ($6.50)
6. Mufasa Metro ($26)
7. Aldebaran Zeus ($31)
8. Speedy Lover ($151)

Back row

9. Keayang Stuka ($51)
10. Royal Dan ($41)
11. Plymouth Chubb ($15)
12. Parisian Artiste ($8.50)
13. Courage Stride (1st emerg, $151)
14. Constantinople (2nd emerg, $151)

Don Hugo new favourite for Pacing Final 

 A back row draw has made life a lot harder for Kiwi-owned Minstrel in next Saturday night’s $500,000 Inter Dominion pacing final (2300m) at Menangle.

The Team Bond-trained star will start from three-out on the back row (gate 11), while Luke McCarthy’s TAB Eureka winner Don Hugo (gate three) is the new outright favourite at $2.60.

The other big winner from the draw was emerging Victorian four-year-old Dangerous, who landed gate two and firmed to $5.

Dual qualifying heat winner Captains Knock eased from $4 to $4.80 after drawing the most awkward of all barriers, inside the back row (gate nine) behind outsider Jilliby Nitro (gate one).

Jason Grimson qualified two finalists – Curly James (gate five, $12) and Nerano (eight, $26) – in his quest for a third Inter Dominion grand final win in the past four years.

Minstrel, who broke gear and finished tailed-out in round two, cemented his spot in the final with a fantastic second at Menangle last night.

The WA Cup winner did all the work outside the leader and ran closing quarters in 27.5, 27.1 and 27.6sec to be just edged-out late by emerging Victorian four-year-old Dangerous, who had the one-one sit on him.

“It’s a great feeling to win an Inter Dominion heat and get a good run like that for a change on him,” young driver Ryan Sanderson said. “He can be right in the finish of the final with the right run.”

Driver Deni Roberts was thrilled with Minstrel’s run.

“Terrific. We’re through and with a horse who will be better again next week.”

In the first of last night’s pacing heats, TAB Eureka winner Don Hugo lifted the bar again on his stunning second round win at Bathurst last Wednesday.

Last night Don Hugo had to work three-wide for the first 800m before trainer-driver Luke McCarthy surged forward to take the lead.

“That was a big effort because even when he found the front he got very keen, but kept going,” he said.

“It was training error on night one, I didn’t quite have him wound up enough, but he came on from that at Bathurst and again tonight. He’s a stallion in the zone with a great chance in the final.

“The draw looks great and he’s going to take some beating in the final now.”

Dangerous’ 1min52.2sec mile rate was slightly quicker than Don Hugo’s 1min52.6sec and both compared well with the track record 1min51.4sec.

Another four-year-old, Captains Knock, snared his second heat win of the series when he worked across to take the lead and cruised home in last night’s third Menangle heat.

His 1min52.4sec mile rate was right up with the other two heats, but he sprinted home the quickest with closing splits of 53.7 and 26.7sec.

Talented former Kiwi mare My Moonlite Dream trailed the leader and ran a brave but well held second, while Curly James ran home well in such strong closing splits to finish third.

The Seaton Grima-trained My Moonlite Dream is the only mare to qualify for the final.

GRAND FINAL DRAW

Front Row

1. Jilliby Nitro ($16)
2. Dangerous ($4.60)
3. Don Hugo ($2.60)
4. My Moonlite Dream ($14)
5. Curly James ($12)
6. Terry ($101)
7. Jimartee ($71)
8. Nerano ($26)

Back row

9. Captains Knock ($4.80)
10. Max Delight ($18)
11. Minstrel ($5.50)
12. Petes Said So ($51)
13. Cantfindabettorman (1st emerg, $35)
14. Perfect Stride (2nd emerg, $151)

 

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