There is a Victorian influence about the breeding of the two Inter Dominion champions – Don Hugo and The Locomotive.

Don Hugo, a four-year-old entire, is a product of Art Major, the flagship stallion at the premier Victorian-based stud Alabar Bloodstock and the first Inter Dominion winner sired by the Artsplace horse.

Furthermore, Don Hugo’s grand-dam sire Presidential Ball stood for many years at Alabar and his third dam, Erin Brockovich, ranks as a sister to Courage Under Fire, who was also based at the Echuca nursery.

The Locomotive, who made a clean sweep of the trotting series, is a four-year-old Muscle Mass entire bred by Ballarat breeder Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms. He is the 13th foal and 10th winner out of the champion Victorian racemare La Coocaracha, who finished runner-up to Game Bid in the Inter Dominion Final at Harold Park in 2002.

La Coocaracha was a daughter of Safely Kept, another of the Alabar Bloodstock sire roster.

The Locomotive’s grand-dam Poetry (by Kentucky) and third dam Morley Doll (by Royal Dollar) were both bred in Victoria.

The Inter Dominion Trotting Final proved a triumph for Driscoll as he brought out three of the top four finishers in The Locomotive (first), Keayang Chucky (second) and Royal Dan (fourth). Another Driscoll bred finalist in Parisian Artiste, a heat winner, ran 10th.

Driscoll has bred the winners of the last three Inter Dominion Trotting Championships in Just Believe (2022 and 2023) and now The Locomotive.

Shadow Celt, a very impressive winner in restricted company at Melton on Saturday night, was bred and is raced by Harness Breeders Victoria treasurer Maurice Hanrahan

The trotter Claudy An Gus, who won at Melton on Friday, was bred by veteran Goulburn Valley scribe Gus Underwood. He ranks as a half-brother to the former trotting queen Claudy’s Princess

Ballarat breeders Bruce and Vicki Edward brought out two heat winners of the Alabar Vicbred Platinum Homegrown Classic for two-year-olds at Melton in Fire Marshall (colt) and Ill Be Gone (filly)

PICTURE: CLUB MENANGLE