Hamilton: It's time to talk about the ailing Inter Dominion
IT is time to give the Inter Dominion some tough love.
This year’s series is just weeks away and us diehards cannot wait. The racing will be spirited, the stories will flow and the history of the sport’s most iconic event will carry it a long way.
Hamilton: Ready to Rock N Roll for two landscape shaping trots titles
TWO huge races are buzzing around in my head at the moment.
Well, it's actually four races, but only two of them are harness races. The others at this time of year are, of course, the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.
Hamilton: No ID22 for Doo as Vic Cup champ readies for New Zealand
New sensation Rock N Roll Doo is set to bypass the Inter Dominion.
Trainer-driver Mick Stanley and owner Brendan James decided several weeks back if their young gun went to the NZ Cup, they wouldn’t tackle the Inter Dominion as well.
And not even his stunning, almost arrogant, Victoria Cup win last Saturday night seems to have changed that.
Hamilton: Ravishing prospect delivers thrilling Derby heat 'Ride'
FOR a moment I thought I was watching Ride High.
A couple of months ago, while asking Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin for the latest on Ladies In Red, they both told me about a three-year-old they had who would be a “huge Victoria Derby player".
Hamilton: Our Victorian stars set for major overseas journeys
The Aussie influence on the famed New Zealand Cup has been huge in recent years, but Michael Stanley wants to take it to another level.
Hamilton: More twists in Vic Cup plot as Arty finishes Aussie career
The build-up to this Victoria Cup is like the AFL finals – evolving dramatically week-by-week.
The latest twists came last Saturday night in the free-for-all at both Melton and, to a lesser extent, Menangle.
Hamilton: Herlihy needs ID22 Brilliance to combat Oz rising stars
THE young guns are circling for this Inter Dominion trotting series.
While top flight Kiwi trotter Bolt For Brilliance will come across at the peak of his powers and clearly be the horse to beat, it's a group of young Aussie trotters who loom as his biggest threat.
Hamilton: A Storm's brewing and it could be heading our way
The Kiwis are coming to our Inter Dominion and having some WA flavour would really top things off.
And the odds of that happening are shortening by the day.
Hamilton: Challenges ahead but 'Art' you glad champ's back?
LOCHINVAR Art is a rule breaker.
In today’s harness racing world, the gap between the best and the next best can be – and mostly is - wafer thin.
Hamilton: Ego, Sprit, Art - Victoria Cup looms as THAT race
WHO should be Victoria Cup favourite?
With the next of Australasia’s open class majors being less than two months away, my mind turned to trying to work out some sort of pecking order for the October 8 race.
Hamilton: Boom youngster shifts from champ to challenger
Outstanding young Victorian pacer Catch A Wave heads to the Melton trials tonight as he prepares to find himself in new territory over the next few months.
Hamilton: Vic Derby set to be a classic as Qlder takes the Leap
A BURNING desire to win Australia’s three major Derbys is set to see Queensland star Leap To Fame raid Victoria in coming months.
Leviathan owner Kevin Seymour and trainer-driver Grant Dixon are yet to finalise plans, but Seymour gave the strongest indication yet that Victorians will get to see Leap To Fame in the flesh very soon.
Hamilton: No imminent changes to Inter Dom time slot
The Inter Dominion isn’t going anywhere, at least not for the next few years.
Hamilton: Mark Purdon covets Crowns, plots Victoria return
THE drought is over. The harness racing world is starting to open-up again and the greatest of them all is getting ready to pack his bags and travel across the ditch with some of his best horses again.
Mark Purdon is coming back to Victoria.
Hamilton: Ladies In Red's moment in the Sun validates greatness
WHAT a joy it has been having a front row seat to the rise and rise of Ladies In Red.
It was almost a year ago I started to think she was the best filly (or mare) Australia had seen since Tailamade Lombo 20 years ago.
Hamilton: Time is of the essence as critical Vic Inter Dom nears
THIS year’s Victorian Inter Dominion needs to be a line in the sand for the sport’s marquee race.
As each year passes, less people see it as the ultimate prize in the game. That’s because it has been in limbo – with exceptions here and there – for almost a decade.
Hamilton: Slick trial has Ladies In Red primed for Queensland
Pacing queen Ladies In Red impressed at the Melton trials last night as a warm-up for the biggest test of her stellar career so far.
She charged home into second behind gifted stablemate Honolua Bay to be beaten just 2.5m in a slick 54.57sec last half.
For Ladies In Red, it was an important step towards the $305,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 9.
She will tackle the race first-up and potentially stay up north for the Group 1 Golden Girl a week later.
Hamilton: Plenty head north but McCarthy's "best" Vic bound
EXPENSIVE Ego is arguably the most polarising pacer in Australia.
In footy terms, he’s Collingwood – you either love him or hate him.
Hamilton: The 10 stars I'm most excited to see in Queensland
The blossoming Queensland Constellations carnival is just around the corner.
It’s shaping as a mecca for many of Australia’s stars and will be the strongest carnival we’ve seen so far this year.
Here are the 10 horses (in no particular order) I am most looking forward to seeing strut their stuff in the Sunshine State over the next couple of months.
Hamilton: Lochinvar Art setback but Inter Dom remains in the frame
SUPERSTAR pacer Lochinvar Art is recovering from another significant injury setback, but the Melbourne Inter Dominion still remains his target.
The one-time toast of Australasian pacing pulled a shoe and was forced into a plaster cast for several weeks.