Globetrotter Aldebaran Zeus booked a spot in this year’s Inter Dominion series securing a ‘Golden Ticket’ after winning the sixth event on the card at Menangle last week.
The Bailey McDonough-piloted squaregaiter had a 9.5m triumph after being sent out a short-priced favourite.
Trainer Brent Lilley was confident his star trotter would make the Grand Circuit classic.
“He would have made the series without the ‘Golden Ticket’. At this stage we are going to press on for the Inter Dominion,” Lilley said.
The winner of over half-a-million dollars will head back to Victoria before returning to New South Wales for the series.
“He will probably race at Melton on the 16th (November) that will be his next start and that will be two weeks before the series starts, so providing all goes well we will press on,” he said.
“That will be it at this stage before the Inter Dominion.”
The Bolinda horseman admits that the globetrotting superstar is starting to regain some of his best form for the first time since returning from the United States of America.
“He is going back to as good as he can, I think,” Lilley said. “It was just that he got crook over in America and it has taken a little while to get him back not only health wise but confidence wise.
“He has had a couple of confidence building wins which has done him well.
“He feels on top of the world at the moment.”
The 2024 Inter Dominion series is set to kick off with heats at Newcastle on November 29 with the final on December 14 at Menangle.
