Some of the leading fancies for the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship warmed up for next weekend’s opening round of heats with standout performances at Tabcorp Park Melton on Friday night.
It was Queen Elida who shone brightest with yet another dominant victory at Victorian harness racing headquarters.
Brent Lilley’s star made light work of her opposition with a professional performance from the front in the Hylands Breeders Crown Championship for four-year-old trotting mares.
With regular driver Chris Alford at the controls, the daughter of Love You quickly found the lead and controlled the race to win by more than 11m over Visionary, who ran well after missing the start significantly from barrier seven.
Queen Elida is on the second line of betting for the ID22 series at $5.50, with Kiwi raider Bolt For Brilliance currently favourite at $2.50.
A short time later, veteran squaregaiter Sundons Courage tuned up for his Inter Dominion campaign with a big win in the Villawood Properties Breeders Crown Graduate Trotters Free For All.
The Chris Angove-trained nine-year-old enjoyed a great trip midfield in the running line and let rip with a lethal finishing burst to score by more than 10m on the line.
Driver Ryan Duffy revealed that Sundons Courage had even served a mare in the days leading up to the victory and had nothing but admiration for the 26-time winner.
“On his good nights, he's as good as any of the horses that I've actually had any association with I think,” Duffy said.
Sundons Courage is a $26 chance with the TAB for the ID22 grand final and will tackle the opening round of heats at Ballarat on November 26 at start 149.
John Justice’s speed machine Mufasa Metro was the next of the Inter Dom hopes to prevail at Tabcorp Park when he led from start to finish in the Hylands Breeders Crown Championship for four-year-old trotting entires and geldings.
The son of Father Patrick was able to lead comfortably from barrier one, but despite getting an easy time of it in front, he only managed to fend off the challenge from Locksley Lover by a half-neck.
Closing quarters of 28.1 and 28.3 were impressive, however, as Mufasa Metro landed his seventh win since arriving in Australia last year.
Justice’s charge is $11 in the TAB ID22 market.
The other Inter Dominion Trotting Championship contender to put his name up in lights was Chinese Whisper.
Bought by Norm Jenkin and sent to Andy Gath’s Long Forest operation, the former Kiwi squaregaiter has proven a handful with his bad racing manners.
But he settled nicely towards the back of the field on Friday night, and produced a big sprint to run down favourite Lotamuscle and win the DNR Logistics Trot.
“He’s been a little bit of a problem child for us and he can get a bit keen in his races, but hopefully we’ve found the trick with him now,” driver Kate Gath said.
“We’ve got some pulling gear on him and he was really good tonight.”
Andy Gath told thetrots.com.au that he would campaign Chinese Whisper through the Inter Dominion series should he get a run, which looks likely after Harness Racing Victoria announced this week that it would be staging three rounds of three heats for the trotters.
The runners that will compete in the Inter Dominion pacing and trotting championships will be confirmed on Monday.