When the gates fold back at 9.19pm for the SENTrack Inter Dominion Pacing Championship a breath-taking inhale will engulf the Melton course as drivers, connections, fans and punters learn whether their speed maps were correct.
Who will lead? It’s the defining question of the race that will define the 2022 season.
Let’s work from the inside out with champion reinsman Luke McCarthy, who’ll pilot Expensive Ego, an outstanding horse with a front row draw (gate six) but whose modest gate speed has him out of the early mix.
Of I Cast No Shadow, McCarthy’s fellow New South Wales entrant who will start from gate one and be driven by Cam Hart, he “thought he would be quick enough to lead”.
He said Hart had “good options”. He could kick up and hold out Honolua Bay (gate two) and wait for strong leader Act Now (gate three), “or if Honolua Bay looks serious and like he’s going to hold” he can hand up and sit leader’s back. “He’s going to get a great trip either way.”
Which brings us to the first two of trainer Emma Stewart’s five-pronged attack. She said “it’s quite tricky early on”, with both Honolua Bay and Act Now “quick out of the gate”.
“Everyone says how fast Act Now is, and he is very fast, but I think Honolua Bay drawn beside him is going to be awfully hard to cross.”
And if Honolua Bay leads, Stewart said “I don’t think he’d be handing up”.
It’s something that will be front of mind for Jodi Quinlan, the just turned 48-year-old who’ll steer Act Now in her first pacing final.
“I’ll be doing my best (to lead),” Quinlan said. “He will come out of the gate as hard as he can and see where we end up, but it’s not the be all and end all if he doesn’t lead.”
And then comes the element of Belinda and Luke McCarthy’s other entrant, Spirit Of St Louis (gate four), a high speed hope who was as brilliant at Shepparton on Night 2 as he was disappointing at Geelong on Night 3.
“He’s drawn four, (driver) Jack (Callaghan) can make sure he puts him in the right spot,” Luke McCarthy said.
As for Expensive Ego, McCarthy may have to resign himself to another race sitting parked outside a Stewart runner, which has yielded two seconds and a third in the heats.
“If you are not on the fence it’s obviously hard,” he said. “I had Act Now as the hardest to beat before the draw, now we’ve seen the draw I think he’s definitely the hardest to beat.”
CLICK: ENJOY TROTSVISION’S ALL-DAY ID22 COVERAGE
SENTRACK ID22 PACING CHAMPIONSHIP RUNNER-BY-RUNNER
Analysis by Jason Bonnington
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1 I CAST NO SHADOW
RECORD 85: 19-10-10
STAKES $305,823
AUST GROUP 1s 2: 1-0-0
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 6: 1-0-1
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 12.88%
TRAINER Jason Grimson
DRIVER Cameron Hart (Aust G1s 76: 6-8-7)
TAB fixed odds $15
“A recent Len Smith Mile champ who draws the gate he needs. The big query tonight is whether Cam Hart opts to hold the front or hand up early, which could see him entombed in transit.”
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2 HONOLUA BAY
RECORD 32: 20-4-2
STAKES $400,490
AUST GROUP 1s 5: 1-2-0
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 2: 1-0-1
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 11.32%
TRAINER Emma Stewart
DRIVER David Moran (Aust G1s 85: 18-14-8)
TAB fixed odds $2.70
“Prodigiously gifted pacer who has won all three ID heats in vastly different fashions. Driver David Moran is spruiking an all-the-way success, but most evidence suggests he’ll be better off the pace.”
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3 ACT NOW
RECORD 35: 18-8-1
STAKES $619,815
AUST GROUP 1s 8: 2-2-0
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 4: 4-0-0
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 8%
TRAINER Emma Stewart
DRIVER Jodi Quinlan (Aust G1s 264: 18-26-31)
TAB fixed odds $2.80
“There’s little doubt this boy has become a man throughout this ID series. While he’s shown his capacity to come off tempo over the past two weeks there’s little doubt that out in front will be his ideal role.”
4 SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS
RECORD 48: 21-10-3
STAKES $728,677
AUST GROUP 1s 10: 2-4-0
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 9: 4-2-0
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 13.12%
TRAINER Belinda McCarthy
DRIVER Jack Callaghan (Aust G1s 56: 6-11-11)
TAB fixed odds $15
“Hugely gifted NSW visitor who was stunning on Night 2 at Shepparton but woeful on Night 3 at Geelong. Expect to see him blaze the gate, but bouncing back to best form in seven days seems unlikely.”
5 BEYOND DELIGHT – SCRATCHED
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6 EXPENSIVE EGO
RECORD 41: 23-7-2
STAKES $859,817
AUST GROUP 1s 15: 4-2-1
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 4: 0-1-1
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 14.97%
TRAINER Belinda McCarthy
DRIVER Luke McCarthy (Aust G1s 460: 76-51-57)
TAB fixed odds $6.50
“Luckless warrior who has faced breeze in all three heats and seems consigned to identical role in this $500,000 final. Driven by a legend and not without some chance, but how he wins from hardest role is tough to comprehend.”
7 BUNDORAN
RECORD 62: 13-13-5
STAKES $294,187
AUST GROUP 1s 6: 0-1-0
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 4: 0-2-0
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 12.20%
TRAINER Amanda Turnbull
DRIVER Amanda Turnbull (Aust G1s 166: 12-15-18)
TAB fixed odds $17
“Perfect Inter Dominion pacer who could not have been more impressive on Night 3 of series in track record time. One suspects he needed a far kinder draw but he is one who is getting better as the series progresses.”
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8 TORRID SAINT
RECORD 128: 17-21-15
STAKES $344,560
AUST GROUP 1s 6: 0-0-0
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 12: 1-1-3
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 8.94%
TRAINER Julie Douglas
DRIVER Jack Laugher (Aust G1s 22: 1-1-2)
TAB fixed odds $71
“Not without a place hope if he gains a run.”
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9 NARUTAC PRINCE
RECORD 29: 9-3-5
STAKES $148,323
AUST GROUP 1s 4: 0-1-0
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 2: 0-0-0
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 10.64%
TRAINER Emma Stewart
DRIVER Kate Gath (Aust G1s 291: 49-46-42)
TAB fixed odds $17
“One trick pony who requires economical journey, but can be lethal when he gets it, and he should get it tonight. Winning chance from three poles in transit, place hope best from anything back.”
10 ZEUSS BROMAC
RECORD 47: 12-13-9
STAKES $434,865
AUST GROUP 1s 9: 2-1-2
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 2: 0-0-1
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 9.39%
TRAINER Paul Fitzpatrick
DRIVER Gavin Fitzpatrick (Aust G1s 166: 18-21-22)
TAB fixed odds $41
“Arguably this ID series most accomplished stayer, who may lack class and speed of absolute elite, but still should relish lengthy trip and also trailing draw. Watch for him to follow Honolua Bay everywhere he goes.”
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11 MACH DAN
RECORD 53: 21-4-9
STAKES $671,585
AUST GROUP 1s 12: 2-0-2
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 12: 5-3-1
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 7.14%
TRAINER Emma Stewart
DRIVER Mark Pitt (Aust G1s 65: 14-5-8)
TAB fixed odds $17
“After disappointing on Night 1 this bloke has pieced together a near flawless series. Pound for pound he’s travelling as well as either of his better drawn stablemates, but will require fireworks for him to take this crown.”
12 PETES SAID SO
RECORD 122: 20-22-19
STAKES $255,226
AUST GROUP 1s 0: 0-0-0
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 4: 0-3-0
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 10.71%
TRAINER KerryAnn Morris
DRIVER Robert Morris (Aust G1s 134: 9-13-10)
TAB fixed odds $151
“New South Wales invader who’s thriving on brutality of Inter Dominion series, but likely needed a front line draw to be a major hope. Look for him to take short cuts in transit and hope for perfect luck.”
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13 BETTER ECLIPSE
RECORD 36: 11-8-7
STAKES $561,410
AUST GROUP 1s 8: 2-1-2
DISTANCE (2501-3000) 4: 0-1-0
GATE WIN% (12 MONTHS) 6.06%
TRAINER Jess Tubbs
DRIVER Greg Sugars (Aust G1s 499: 53-56-55)
TAB fixed odds $26
“Arguably this Inter Dominion series’ most confusing runner. Top-class commodity when right, but broke stride for no reason on Night 3 of series and must overcome grandstand draw as a result of that indiscretion.”
