After a thought-provoking opening night of Inter Dominion 2019 heats, the market still believes in a Mark Purdon-Natalie Rasmussen pacing series win.
The premier training partnership dominated night one with Ultimate Sniper impressively capturing heat one just ahead of stablemate Chase Auckland, while fellow All-Stars runners Cruz Bromac and Thefixer ran second and third in heat two.
A G’s White Socks was the other pacing heat winner, hailing from the stables of Barry Purdon.
Victorian-trained pacing hopes San Carlo (fifth), My Kiwi Mate (seventh) and Sicario (seventh) all made fair starts to the series without setting the world alight.
Importantly the trio has largely fared well at the barrier draws for round two.
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My Kiwi Mate will tonight trail polemarker Chase Auckland in Heat 3, starting from the coveted barrier nine. This gives the Craig Demmler trained and driven star every chance to pocket important points, while San Carlo has barrier one in his heat.
Co-trainers Steve O’Donoghue and Bec Bartley will be confident their stable star will be improved for the opening night performance, but he’ll have to be at his best tonight to hold off the lightning-quick Bling It On, who has drawn to trail in barrier nine and series favourite Ultimate Sniper in gate seven.
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Brent Lilley-trained Sicario is drawn gate 10 in the third heat and is an outsider ($81).
In the trotting ranks Victorian star Big Jack Hammer would have impressed trainer David Aiken on opening night finishing third, but he faces a stiff test tonight after drawing gate seven in a heat containing series favourite Marcoola from the pole.
Full coverage tonight can be streamed via Sky Racing Active (download free in the app store) in addition to Sky Racing 1 and Sky Racing 2, as well as on radio RSN (927am).
HRV Trots Media social media channels will be covering the night, with a live blog delivering all the action as it happens at thetrots.com.au.
Join the conversation using the #ID19 hashtag and tag @TheTrotsComAU on Twitter.
Inter Dominion 2019 Round 2 Heats schedule from Alexandra Park Tonight
6.20pm: Pacing Championships Heat 3, featuring Team Victoria runners My Kiwi Mate and Sicario
6.52pm: Trotting Championship Heat 3.
7:25pm: Pacing Championship Heat 4, featuring Team Victoria runners San Carlo and Cruz Bromac.
7.53pm: Trotting Championship Heat 4, featuring Team Victoria runner Big Jack Hammer.
Inter Dominion 2019 Pacing Championship rankings after Round 1
A G’s White Socks: 17
Ultimate Sniper: 17
Chase Auckland: 14
Cruz Bromac: 14
Mach Shard: 12
Thefixer: 12
Solid Gold: 10
Star Galleria: 10
On The Cards: 9
San Carlo: 9
Ashley Locaz: 8
Triple Eight: 8
My Kiwi Mate: 7
Sicario: 7
Classie Brigade: 6
Conviction: 6
Atomic Red: 5
Colt Thirty One: 5
Bling It On: 4
Our Uncle Sam: 4
Check In: 3
Dance Time: 3
Another Masterpiece: 2
The Devils Own: 2
Henry Hubert: 1
Inter Dominion 2019 Trotting Championship rankings after Round 1
Paramount King: 15
Winterfell: 15
Marcoola: 12
Massive Metro: 12
Big Jack Hammer: 10
Majestic Man: 10
Temporale: 8
Valloria: 8
Destiny Jones: 7
Monty Python: 7
Bonnie Highlander: 6
Habibi Inta: 6
C K Spur: 5
Tough Monarch: 5
Didjabringthebeers: 4
Sertorius: 4
Kenny’s Dream: 3
Ronald J: 3
Pres The Belle: 2
Woodstone: 2
Credit Master: 0
McLovin: 0 (scratched)
TAB Inter Dominion Pacing Final (Sat December 14) fixed odds
Ultimate Sniper: $2.5
Cruz Bromac: $4.5
Thefixer: $5
Chase Auckland: $5.5
Bling It On: $9
Ashley Locaz: $11
A G’s White Socks: $15
Triple Eight: $16
Colt Thirty One: $17
San Carlo: $17
Atomic Red: $41
Classie Brigade: $41
Mach Shard: $41
Our Uncle Sam: $51
On The Cards: $61
Star Galleria: $61
Henry Hubert: $71
Another Masterpiece: $101
Conviction: $101
Sicario: $101
My Kiwi Mate: $151
Solid Gold: $151
Check In: $201
Dance Time: $201
The Devils Own: $201
TAB Inter Dominion Trotting Final (Sat December 14) fixed odds
Marcoola: $3
Winterfell: $3.8
Habibi Inta: $4.5
Massive Metro: $5
Majestic Man: $7
Paramount King: $15
Tough Monarch: $15
Temporale: $17
Big Jack Hammer: $21
Valloria: $35
Bonnie Highlander: $51
Didjabringthebeers: $51
Kenny’s Dream: $51
Monty Python: $71
C K Spur: $151
Destiny Jones: $151
Pres The Belle: $151
Ronald J: $151
Sertorius: $151
Woodstone: $151