Malcolms Rhythm claimed maximum points and ensured Belinda and Luke McCarthy weren't able to scoop all three Inter Dominion pacing heats at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday night.

Avenel trainer-driver team David and Josh Aiken joined forces with their stable favourite to win the third of the round one qualifiers after the McCarthys had earlier scored victory with stars King of Swing and Expensive Ego.

Malcolms Rhythm speared straight to the early lead, then took cover from race favourite Spirit Of St Louis before running him down in the sprint to the line. The five-year-old only got there by a short-half head, but it was enough to give him 16 points from the race and put him in a prime position to make the $500,000 final on December 11.

The Aikens also had stablemate Reactor Now finish seventh behind King of Swing in heat one and Max Delight place fourth in the night's second qualifier.

New Zealander Majestic Man is the warm trotting series favourite, and while he got the job done in his heat on Saturday night, it wasn't without a scare from tough-as-nails Victorian squaregaiter The Penny Drops.

Ray Harvey's five-year-old ran a super race from the death seat for driver Grant Campbell, just going down by a head to the top Kiwi.

Melton-based Anthony Butt and Sonya Smith are caretaker trainers of Majestic Man, and the champion reinsman was at the controls for the success.

Matthew Craven's wonder mare Pink Galahs started favourite in the second of the trotting heats but could only manage third after being swamped late by winner Timothy Red (Joe and Mary Rando/Cameron Hart) and Brent Lilley-trained runner-up Kyvalley Chief (Greg Sugars).

Disappointingly, David Aiken-trained Aldebaran Crescent dropped out sharply to finish last and underwent a veterinary examination after the race.

The series now heads to Bathurst on Wednesday for round two heats before the third and last round at Newcastle on Sunday. The top 12 point-getters in both pacing and trotting divisions then move through to respective finals at Tabcorp Park Menangle on December 11.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL INTER DOMINION NIGHT ONE RESULTS AND RACE REPLAYS

* pictures courtesy Club Menangle