The 2021 Inter Dom champ got his ticket to the 2022 big dance stamped Friday night but the young threats are emerging in the race to Victoria’s Inter Dominion Trotting Championship.
Maori Law was a dominant force in winning the Group 3 The George Gath, the second of four Victorian trotting races that carry Golden Tickets into ID22.
But while the reigning champ’s start in the series was always assured, Ollivici and Aldebaran Zeus are among those circling for his crown and the four-year-olds were big winners on the all-trotting Tabcorp Park Melton card.
Ollivici completed his picket fence this season with a fifth straight win, scoring in the Tornado Valley Trot Final for trainer-driver Chris Lang.
The result gifted the reinsman his 1000th Australian driving win and the two-time Trotting Inter Dominion winner was again full of praise for his young gelding.
“He’s only four and 15 or 16 starts, he’s never really been fully wound up. We got him going a bit for tonight’s race, I still think there’s more in the tank,” Lang told TrotsVision.
“He’s still not proven at the elite level, but I don’t think there’s many I’d prefer to drive in front of him.”
Lang was speaking after Ollivici produced a dominant eight-metre win in the $30,000 Group 2, when he worked to the front and then got home in a 28.4-second final quarter to score from Sheza Pleasure.
It was a result that only fuelled Lang’s confidence.
“The Inter Dominion is our number one goal the way things are planning out at present,” he said. “I still have dreams of going back to Sweden one day, so we need to win that Inter Dominion. It’s a big ask for a four-year-old, but that’s our main game.
“He’s a very well gaited animal, he’s got high speed – for where he’s at I’d rate him as good as I’ve ever trained basically.”
No small praise from the man that guided Sundons Gift to the 2009 and 2010 Inter Dominions and a European campaign, when he contested The Elitlopp.
A horse on a similar path is Brent Lilley’s Aldebaran Zeus, who was in his own class in dominating Friday night’s Delvin Dancer 4YO Trotters Classic.
In Chris Alford’s hands the Aldebaran Park owned and bred race favourite was able to lay in wait in the running line until the final straight before using his elite speed to bolt to a seven-metre win from Aldebaran Huey.
“He had a nice run,” Alford said. “He got a good run through at the start with a couple of gallopers, didn’t really want to have to sit him in the death and thankfully John (Caldow) come out in front of him (on Tipsy Turvy) with a lap to go and gave him a perfect drag up and he only had to go from the top of the straight.
“When I pulled him out he just put them away pretty quick and then relaxed again. Driven cold, with his speed, he’s going to measure up to the free-for-allers later on.”
And, with a rising national rating, it’s the company he’ll very soon keep, including the November 26 Inter Dominion.
Asked if Lilley would direct Aldebaran Zeus to ID22 Alford told TrotsVision “I think so, yeah, as long as he’s well”.
Greg Sugars, who tonight steered Maori Law to his first victory since last year’s championship for Emmett and Richard Brosnan, is looking forward to the challenge of defending the crown.
“The trotting ranks in general just seem to get better and better every year," Sugars said. "The juveniles get faster and stronger and that’s flowing through into our open class racing at the moment.
“We’ve seen quite a lot of horses in recent months going through their grades and knocking on the door to say they’re going to be contenders in open company. It all makes for an exciting future for our sport.”
In the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia silks Sugars led Maori Law to the front on Friday night and, while he didn’t clear out, he always looked in command.
“I think he’s been kept pretty fresh on purpose, he’s certainly not 100 per cent screwed down, we’ve got a bit of time up our sleeve before he needs to be 100 per cent rock hard,” Sugars said. “Pretty nice to get a nice cushy run in front tonight and get the job done easily.”
Racing returns to Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night when another ID22 Golden Ticket is up for grabs, this time for the pacers.
The TAB Minuteman Free For All winner will secure a start in the November 26 heats and the race has drawn a strong field including Lochinvar Art, Honolua Bay, Torrid Saint, Tango Tara and Supreme Dominator.
It starts at 8.42pm and shares the limelight with the HBV Stallion Guide Amarillen Matriarch Pace Final, part of a 10-race card that can be enjoyed live and free on www.TrotsVision.com.au.