THIS year’s Inter Dominion series in Perth WA will have a genuine international flavour with Irish superstar Meadowbranch DJ about to enter quarantine for his trip to Australia to compete in this year’s race series.
The Inter Dominion series will be run from November 27 to December 13 with this year’s final worth $1.8 million.
Tasmanian star Beautide will be attempting to win his third Inter in succession to equal the feat of Im Themightyquinn and to step one win closer to Blacks A Fake’s record of four-time winner to become the world’s highest earning pacer.
But this year the Inter Dominion council through Harness Racing Australia offered the UK a pathway for one of its star pacers to compete in the Inter Dominion series.
For the first time in the history of the Inter Dominion a British or Irish horse was provided an opportunity to be invited to compete in the series.
To decide on the representative a four-part competition was set up between the ten best British and Irish horses.
The competiveness of the series is shown by how each four stages saw the track record broken.
These four heats were run as follows:
Heat 1 – York Harness Raceway – 26th June (2,400 m)
Heat 2 – Portmarnock Raceway – 24th July (1,600 m)
Heat 3 – York Harness Raceway – 1st August (2,000 m)
Heat 4 – Portmarnock Raceway – 9th August (2,400 m)
Here is the breakdown of how the horses finished over the heats, which turned into a closely matched duel between Ireland’s Meadowbranch DJ, and the British-trained Brywinsmagicpotion.
| Heat 1 – 2640 yds | Heat 2 – One Mile |
| 1st – Meadowbranch DJ (8 points)
2nd – Brywinsmagicpotion (6 pts) 3rd – Meadowbranch Romeo (4 pts) Winning Margin: 10 lengths Time: 3’00”08 Notes: “DJ” won very easily over this distance Watch Replay: YouTube |
1st – Brywinsmagicpotion (8 points)
2nd – Meadowbranch DJ (6pts) 3rd – Meadowbranch Romeo (4pts) Winning Margin: ½ Length Time: 1’56 Watch Replay: YouTube |
| Heat 3 – 2200 yds | Heat 4 – 2400 yds |
| 1st – Astounding (8 points)
2nd – Brywinsmagicpotion (6 pts) 3rd – Meadowbranch DJ (4 pts) Winning Margin: 4 ½ lengths Time: 2’29”80 Notes: Scottish challenger Astounding, who had missed heat 2, led all the way and never saw a rival Watch Replay: YouTube |
1st – Meadowbranch DJ (8 points)
2nd – Brywinsmagicpotion (6 pts) 3rd – Astounding (4 pts) Winning Margin: 5 ½ lengths Time: 2’57”30 Notes: “DJ” took it up halfway round and never came back to the field Watch Replay: YouTube |
Eighteen years after injury-stricken Sable Matters came to Australia for the Inter Dominion for Mark Flanagan, owner of Meadowbranch Stables, they will finally get to finish what they started.
Trainer William Flanagan is excited about the prospect of preparing an Inter Dominion winner.
“This is a big achievement for the whole Meadowbranch team. This is what we’re in the job,” Flanagan said.
“Dermot Weld won the Melbourne Cup so why couldn’t we win the Inter Dominion,” he said
Meadowbranch DJ will go into quarantine in Newmarket at the end of the month before travelling to Melbourne and then on to Gloucester Park in Perth.
The Australasian series commences on Friday 27th November with the final on the 13th December.
The Australasian Series has three heats and a final:
- Heat 1 – Friday November 27th – Gloucester Park (2,130 metres)
- Heat 2 – Tuesday December 1st – Bunbury Trotting Club (1,609 m)
- Heat 3 – Friday December 4th – Gloucester Park (2,530 m)
- Final – Sunday December 13th – Gloucester Park (2,530 m)
Gloucester Park is an 800m track with a 175m straight taking nine horses across the front line. It is located in the heart of the City of Perth.