New Zealand champion Bolt For Brilliance silenced his detractors with a dazzling heat performance on night one of the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship in Ballarat.
Below par results and nagging health concerns had many questioning the star squaregaiter’s place as favourite for the series, but the five-year-old showed why with a dominant front-running victory in his first start on Australian soil.
Trained and driven by legendary Kiwi horseman Tony Herlihy, Bolt For Brilliance quickly assumed the lead and was never challenged on his way to a seven-metre win.
Sundons Courage (Chris Angove/Ryan Duffy) threw a spanner in the works when he crossed race favourite Majestuoso (Andy and Kate Gath) and Bolt For Brilliance, but Herlihy’s charge was then allowed to glide to the top soon after.
He controlled things from the front and then dashed home in a slick last quarter of 27.7 to leave Sundons Courage and Majestuoso in his wake.
“He was very lazy in front and very relaxed, which is great for a series like this where you’ve got three races in a week,” Herlihy said.
“So hopefully he’ll come through it really good, which you’d like to think he will.”
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Just Believe and Queen Elida were expected to fight out the opening heat of the night, and it played out just as many expected.
Greg Sugars sent Just Believe to the lead shortly after the start and that’s where he stayed, dictating the tempo in front before fending off the challenge from Brent Lilley’s star mare, who sprinted fast from the one-one but could only bridge the gap to two-and-a-half metres.
“We saw last year through the Sydney (Inter Dominion) campaign for (former trainer) Mick (Hughes), they said he just thrived on it and he’s a very resilient sort of customer,” Sugars said.
“To get a soft first-up run, you think it’s going to do him the world of good moving into round two.”
Chinese Whisper (Andy and Kate Gath) finished strongly for third, with Lotamuscle (Matthew Craven) coming home in fourth.
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Ofortuna provided the shock of the evening when she claimed a boilover victory in the third and final heat.
With favourite One Over All (Tubbs/Sugars) galloping soon after the start, Jodi Quinlan sent the Craig Demmler-trained mare to the front and then took a trail behind Nephew Of Sonoko (Ross Graham/James Herbertson).
Quinlan then peeled the five-year-old out at the top of the straight and she did enough to fend off Mufasa Metro (John Justice) by a half-head, with Queensland visitor Majestic Harry (Stephanie and Brittany Graham) running a ripper for third.
Ofortuna wouldn’t have gained a start in the Inter Dominion without Harness Racing Victoria’s decision to add an extra heat to the trotting series earlier this month, with the horse ranked 28th in the overall order of entry.
“It feels like I’ve won the final,” Demmler said post-race.
“I was just rapt to get in it to tell you the truth…
“We were probably very lucky to get in an easier heat, even though the one of John Justice’s is a very good horse. I’m just rapt to come out here and win tonight.”
Horses will continue to accumulate points for finishing positions on Tuesday night in Shepparton and Geelong next Saturday evening, with the top 12 performers through the heats securing a place in the $250,000 grand final on December 10 at Tabcorp Park Melton.
ID22 SERIES POINTS
16 – Just Believe, Bolt For Brilliance, Ofortuna
13 – Queen Elida, Sundons Courage, Mufasa Metro
11 – Chinese Whisper, Majestuoso, Majestic Harry
9 – Lotamuscle, Always Ready, Robbie Royale
8 – Parisian Artiste, Anywhere Hugo, Nephew Of Sonoko
7 – Powderkeg, Hatchback, Brandlo Prince
6 – Zarem, Leanne Leeann, Vacation Hill
5 – Cuchulainn, Kyvalley Chief, Swiss Miss
4 – Adelle, Illawong Stardust, Beefour Bacardi
3 – Phoebe Onyx, Pink Galahs, Teetreetommy
2 – Watts Up Majestic, Royal Charlotte, One Over All
1 – Sleepee
Fields and barrier draws for Shepparton were conducted on Saturday night and are listed below.
