2006 Pacers Series
Hobart, Tasmania

2006 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Final $1,500,000 Heats:  19, 22, 26 March 2006 Final:    2 April 2006
Queensland pacers continued their dominance of the Wrest Point Inter Dominion Championship with Blacks A Fake saluting in the Grand Final, enabling Natalie Rasmussen to be the first woman to train and drive an Inter Dominion and her lightly raced gelding to be the first winner of the race from the Sunshine State. Blacks A Fake, the first Queensland-bred pacer to win an Inter Dominion, won by 1.5m over outsider Karloo Mick (NSW) with a neck to Queenslanders Slipnslide with Flashing Red fourth.  A win for Slipnslide would have seen it crowned Grand Circuit Champion, finishing second on points to stablemate Be Good Johnny. For years Queensland was virtually a dumping ground for horses from the southern states.  Despite a well promoted Sires States program there for some years, the two most significant reasons for the spectacular turnaround this season has been the continuing deeds of the great sire Fake Left USA, now defunct, and the dominance of John McCarthy and his family since moving north from Bathurst seven years ago. Fake Left USA sired five of the 13 horses (including emergency) to make it through to the Grand Final following three qualifying round of heats the previous week.  The McCarthy’s qualified all three of their horses for the Grand Final.  President Noel Salter, the Tasmanian Pacing Club and its staff headed by John Devereux and David Aldred, can be well satisfied with the success of the carnival, culminating in the richest open age race ever staged anywhere in the pacing world. There were some teething problems with the new track and its unfinished facilities.  However, Bill Hutchison, the noted Melbourne form assessor and a regular to Inter Dominion and overseas carnivals, on national television after the Grand Final stated he was happy with the track, and found it to have been the most pleasant Inter Dominion he had attended.  “The Tasmanians were also the friendliest hosts I have met at any of these carnivals.”		Blacks A Fake - 2006 Inter Dominion Pacing Champion

Blacks A Fake is a unique winner in modern day Inter Dominions.  When Natalie Rasmussen nominated the horse for the Series weeks before Christmas, she said it was still just a C3 pacer. It had not contested any of the Grand Circuit events up north when horses from the McCarthy stables were dominating the major races. 

Its early racing career had been restricted following a stable accident when it badly injured a hock, with Rasmussen giving it a lengthy lay-off.  It had gone into this Inter Dominion Series having had just 23 lifetime starts for 18 wins.  All of these wins had been from behind the mobile.  It is worth noting that on the way to Hobart it was beaten in each of its first three starts in Victoria.  In a fourth, from a standing start, it finished tailed off in the Moonee Valley Cup.  The horse was then balloted from the A.G. Hunter Cup field, a standing start race over two miles. 

In hindsight, this might have been a blessing in disguise for connections.  Brian Hancock, the most successful horseman in Inter Dominion pacing titles, has long refused to start one of his own horses in such a gut-busting staying race. Hancock also likes to keep his most promising youngsters away from two-year-old campaigns. 

Blacks A Fake had only five starts late in its two-year-old season before a lengthy absence from the track.  This tends to suggest how this now five-year-old gelding, the most inexperienced pacer in the Grand Final, might be capable next season of reaching even greater heights. 

By Fake Left USA from Colada Hanover, the gelding was bred by R.H. Nominees who race it in partnership with the trainer and T.L. Titcomb.  The 29-year-old Natalie Rasmussen is from a well known Queensland harness racing family and had a stint driving in Victoria some 18 months earlier. 

The top four pacers in the betting when the big race started were Queensland pacers -- Blacks A Fake was sent out the $2.30 favourite, from Slipnslide, Be Good Johnny and Flashing Red. Punters were well on target with only Karloo Mick preventing the Sunshine State from capturing the first three placings.  

Rasmussen did not get caught up in the early battle to lead, allowing Lookslikelightning to dash to the front from barrier five, with Sweet Fame USA, Karloo Mick and Winforu NZ all going away quickly.  However, around the first turn just when most drivers were content to hold their positions, Blacks A Fake was sent forward in a hurry to sweep to the lead with Lookslikelightning then on its back and Be Good Johnny tucked away three back on the rails. 

It was no surprise that shortly after Geoff Webster took Flashing Red around the field to seek the ‘death’, a position this tough stayer often seems to prefer.  At this point Slipnslide and London Legend NZ were bringing up the rear. 

The leader got away with a leisurely 31.5 first quarter of the last mile before moving up the speed with the next quarter in 29.5 sec, followed by the final half-mile in 56.7. 

Rasmussen allowed Blacks A Fake to move away entering the home straight the final time, with most of their rivals running on hard in a solid pack to fight out the placings.  Even those to officially finish well back in the final order were not all that far behind the placings; such was the blanket finish to a top class Inter Dominion Grand Final. 

Inter Dominions always throw up fascinating stories.  Had second placegetter Karloo Mick got the money, it would have been yet another rags-to-riches tale.  Trained at Dubbo by retired auto electrician Barry Lew for himself and wife Rhonda, this five-year-old gelding by Panorama USA from Miss Jogalong had been bred by Barry’s brother Mick, hence the name. 

Going into the final it had raced 54 times for 25 wins. These included Harold Park (seven), Bathurst (four), Dubbo (six), Parkes (three) and other places in western NSW.  In pre-post betting on the Series, two well known Victorian members of the media named it as being a real ‘dark horse’ in the Series, putting their money where they mouth was by claiming the then three-figure odds. 

On the eve of the Grand Final, Lew explained how the horse had always been on the lazy side.  “But since coming to Tasmania he has been able to put it all together working with some of the others on Seven Mile beach, which is a great place to train horses.”In most Inter Dominion Grand Finals the barrier draw plays an important part in shaping the market.  During the heats it had gone against the likes of Sting Lika Bee, Foreal NZ and to a lesser degree Safari. 

Slipnslide, winner of two of this season’s Grand Circuit races, could hardly have drawn worse than the outside of the second row in the big one.  Though generally considered to be a better sprinter than a stayer, its third, after racing three wide for much of the last half of the race, was full of merit.  Next season expect its clashes with Blacks A Fake to be a real highlight of Grand Circuit racing. 

For Victoria and New Zealand, both going into the Series with strong representations, the result was most disappointing.  Victoria, the leading breeding state in Australia, failed to have a starter in the race when the emergency Safari (by Fake Left USA) was taken out on the Sunday morning. 

2006 INTER DOMINION PACING SERIES
Heats held on March 19, 22 & 26

Breaking with tradition, all meetings in this Series would be staged on Sunday evenings, with the 2006 Hobart Inter Dominion opening with four $60,000 heats over the sprint distance of 1609m; one lap and 639m of Tasmania’s new track at Elwick.  

Three nights later the Series would move to Launceston, returning for the final night of qualifying divisions four nights later back in Hobart.  Both the Second and Third nights would each stage three qualifying divisions, ensuring only the best performed pacers in the Series would qualify for the $1.5 million race on Grand Final night.   

Only two States would not be well represented. South Australia had just the one pacer in Conte De Cristo NZ, and the host state of Tasmania would not have a representative.  However, both States would have indirect links to the Series. 

Geoff Webster, Adelaide’s top reinsman for the past 10 years, had weeks earlier transferred his stables to Victoria.  Among the first horses at his new Bannockburn address was Queensland’s Flashing Red, with Webster then having a major input in assisting the travelling stable foreman, Joel Rees, preparing the horse Webster would drive in the Series for Stuart Hunter.  

This same pacer was also linked to Tasmania.  Bred in Victoria by John Campbell, it was later sold to the Apple Isle.  It had begun its racing career at Hobart on January 29, 2000.  After two seconds, it won its first race at New Norfolk.  Some 60 starts and 15 wins later, the horse came on the market and was purchased by leading horseman Barrie Rattray for $20,000. 

Seeking a quick profit, Rattray offered the horse to Queensland trainer Stuart Hunter for what Hunter thought was a little too high.  But on the freezingly cold morning he came to try Flashing Red, the horse showed toughness and a real will to do its best.  The Queenslander paid the $40,000, selling a half share to client Norm Jenkin.  Since then it has been the most travelled pacer in the land, winning races in every State and banking more than $600,000.  So, everyone to be associated with this pacer has been a winner! 

A second horse was also linked to Tassie.  This was the NSW owned Hexus.  The gelding had been sent down early for Scottsdale trainer Max Hadley to prepare it for the Series with well known Sydney reinsman Greg Bennett then flying in to Hobart to renew his association with the horse.  Hexus last season had twice been runner-up to the mighty Elsu NZ, winner of the 2005 Inter Dominion Grand Final.   

Hobart’s rich race would take on a true international flavour with three horses from North America.   They may not have been from the very top bracket in the ‘home of the standardbred’, but both Articulator USA and Cams Fool USA were both part-owned by Brett Pelling, the horseman who 17 years ago moved from Australia to later become the top trainer in the US.  The third was Sweet Fame USA.  It had been a useful claimer in the States, but Down Under in the ownership of Ian Dobson of Christian Cullen NZ fame and trained in NSW by Brian Hancock, it had seemingly made improvement adapting well to the Aussie style of training and racing.  

Queensland would go into the Series with by far its strongest-ever contingent.  There were the three McCarthy pacers – Be Good Johnny (the pre-post favourite), the classy Slipnslide, and the tough Cobbitty Classic with a record of 1:54, along with the mobile specialist Blacks A Fake and of course Flashing Red – all real chances.  The McCarthy family actually went into the Series believing Cobbitty Classic would probably emerge as their best hope, but barrier 12 in the Grand Final did little for its chances. 

New Zealand’s big hope was Howard Bromac NZ, a winner of $591,682.  There were also the highly performed mares Alta Serena NZ and the smart four-year-old Foreal NZ, along with Napoleon NZ, Winforu NZ, London Legend NZ and Bobs Blue Boy NZ.  The latter three, along with Foreal NZ, had been campaigning for several months in Australia.   

Interestingly, successful Canterbury trainer Cran Dalgety on arrival in Hobart made drastic changes to preparing of London Legend NZ.  He had decided not to use a cart for his horse in trackwork, preferring now to ride the five-year-old gelding in all of its work.  In hindsight, the horse did race well in its heats. 

Leading the Victorian charge were the battle-scarred Sokyola NZ (a winner of 73 races), the tough Sting Lika Bee, About To Rock, The Warp Drive, Safari and Tromos, while Western Australia were represented by Lookslikelightning, Ohoka Ace NZ, Money Magnet NZ, Maheer Lord NZ and No Blue Manna. 

NSW was strongly represented by the likes of Dinki Di, Hexus, Smooth Crusa NZ, the much vaunted Camlach, and Karloo Mick. Sweet Fame USA, though now owned in New Zealand, was deemed by the IDHRC rules to be representing NSW because it was domiciled in that State.     

First Night:  Hobart, March 19, 1609m

HEAT 1:
If there existed any doubt as to whether Blacks A Fake was up to this class, it was quickly dispelled when it jumped straight to the lead from the pole, burning through the first half in 57.2 sec, then grabbing a breather with a 30.5 sec quarter, then sprinting home impressively.  

Kiwi speedster Napoleon NZ dashed through to beat Articular USA for second placing after it had trailed the leader throughout.  Sting Lika Bee was the unlucky runner, being held up back near the rear before flashing home to grab fourth. 

Blacks A Fake (Natalie Rasmussen) ft 1; Napoleon NZ (Barry Purdon) ft, 2; Articulator USA ft (Anthony Butt), 3.   

HEAT 2:
The tough Flashing Red surprised many when a solid tempo saw it grab a three-wide trail into the race, then coming four wide around the final bend to hold off Alta Serena NZ and the outsider Karloo Mick.  

This win served notice that Flashing Red was now right at the top of its game, performing better than it has in the majority of its many Grand Circuit appearances in the past two years.  Sokyola NZ raced like a horse past its best of two years earlier. 

Flashing Red (Geoff Webster) ft, 1; Alta Serena NZ (Brent Mangos) ft, 2; Karloo Mick (Barry Lew) ft 3.

HEAT 3:
Slipnslide demonstrated its class by racing without cover and going on to easily beat the leader Lookslikelightning and Winforu NZ, while the imported Cams Fool USA did not race up to the wraps it had on following impressive recent trials.  At this stage of the meeting, betting on the Grand Final had Slipnslide the outright favourite. 

Slipnslide (Luke McCarthy) ft 1; Lookslikelightning (Ryan Warwick) ft 2; Winforu NZ (David Butcher) ft, 3. 

HEAT 4:
Just when many believed they had seen the Inter Dominion winner go around in the previous heat, Be Good Johnny turned in what was a remarkable victory.  Trained and driven by John McCarthy, father of Luke, it was shunted out the back at the start from its awkward barrier draw, and seemed a long way off the leaders mid-race. 

When turned loose, this lightly-raced son of Fake Left USA looked awesome as it rounded up the leaders and raced away to win on a track many were claiming greatly favoured the front runners.  It would not have escaped the notice of all how Queensland had just completed a clean sweep of all heats on opening night. 

Be Good Johnny (John McCarthy) ft 1; Foreal NZ (Anthony Butt) ft, Smooth Crusa NZ (Gavin Fitzpatrick) ft 3. 

After four heats of racing, the Points Table was:

13 Be Good Johnny, Blacks A Fake, Flashing Red & Slipnslide; 10 Alta Serena NZ, Foreal NZ, Lookslikelightning & Napoleon NZ: 8  Articulator USA, Karloo Mick, Smooth Crusa NZ & Winforu NZ; 6 Cams Fool USA, London Legend NZ, No Blue Manna & Sting Lika Bee; 5 Cobbity Classic, Hexus, Home Of Jack & Ohoka Ace NZ; 4 Bobs Blue Boy NZ, Mustang Fighter, Sokyola NZ & The Warp Drive; 3 Camlach, Howard Bromac NZ, Penny Veejay & Sweet Fame USA. 2 Conte De Cristo NZ, Maheer Lord NZ, Money Magnet NZ & Tromos. 1 About To Rock, Dinki Di, Flaming Roadstar & Safari.

Second Night:  Launceston, March 22, 2200m

Built on the exact measurements to the track at Brisbane’s Albion Park, the Queenslanders no doubt would feel right at home on what many mainlander horsemen will tell you that for the 20 years it has existed it has been at least the equal of any track in Australia.  

HEAT 5:
After its tough draw on opening night, Sting Lika Bee was again on the outside of the second line, though two of his main rivals were also keeping him company with Blacks A Fake and Flashing Red in barriers 8 and 10.  However, Slipnslide had drawn to lead from barrier 3, and over its pet distance, gave nothing else a chance. 

Trainer-driver Luke McCarthy said after its all-the-way victory how he thought it would have been a lot tougher when being told his horse had returned a mile rate of 1:57.8.  “He can shy at things when he is out in front on his own, but when I pulled the blinds down about a hundred metres out, he just cruised to the line unextended.”  This would have been good news for those who had backed this horse for the Grand Final. 

Winforu NZ managed to hold off Sting Lika Bee for second position, with the only other eye-catching run coming from outsider Bobs Blue Boy NZ finishing fifth. Victorians who had strongly supported Sting Lika Bee for the Grand Final would have been delighted, as surely the horse would soon have better fortune with the barrier draws.  Blacks A Fake could beat only two horses home. 

Slipnslide ft (Luke McCarthy), 1; Winforu NZ ft (David Butcher), 2; Sting Lika Bee (David Murphy) 3. 

HEAT 6:
It was now high time the NSW team stepped up to the mark in the Series, and they did in no uncertain manner in this race when the forgotten Hexus remembered how to put its best together for stand-in local trainer Max Hadley. Racing for NSW, this performer did provide Hadley with a most memorable victory, as one had to go back 12 years for the previous time a horse trained in Tasmania had won an Inter Dominion heat.  This was Halyer in Sydney that year. 

The win by Hexus in beating two other NSW pacers was in the smart time of 1:57.7, slightly better than Slipnslide had gone in the previous fast heat. The unlucky one out of this heat was Alta Serena NZ.  It finished 10^th after failing to secure a clear run in the final lap.  The Victorians, Sokyola NZ and About To Rock, brought up the rear. 

Hexus ft (G   Bennett), 1; Smooth Crusa NZ ft (Grant Fitzpatrick), 2; Karloo Mick ft (Barry Lew), 3. 

HEAT 7:
NSW trainer Brian Hancock is still known as the ‘Inter Dominion King’ even though he no longer drives in races.  His improving imported Sweet Fame USA carried his colours to victory in beating Safari and the short-priced favourite Be Good Johnny.  The latter appeared to race well below its effort of opening night. 

For Hancock, it was his 26^th Inter Dominion heat winner.  When pressed to ask the trainer could this horse give him another win in this ‘Melbourne Cup’ of harness racing, the trainer said how the horse had drawn badly in the third round of heats back at Hobart, and it might be tough going for Sweet Fame USA unless it could have another great drive like tonight.  It was driven by Hancock’s nephew Darren. 

Outsider Safari raced outside of Be Good Johnny and was still able to beat home the horse that had gone into the Series one of the top two fancies, such was the ordinary run of Be Good Johnny. 

Sweet Fame USA ft (Darren Hancock), 1; Safari ft (Brian Gath), 2: Be Good Johnny ft (John McCarthy), 3. 

Progressive Points: 29 Slipnslide, 24 Be Good Johnny, 21 Winforu NZ, Smooth Crusa NZ and Hexus, 19 Karloo Mick, Napoleon NZ and Sweet Fame USA, 18 Flashing Red, 17 Foreal NZ Sting Lika Bee, 16 Blacks A Fake, 15 London Legend NZ, 14 Articulator US, Safari, 14.5 Lookslikelightning, 13 Alta Serena NZ, Cobbitty Classic, Cams Fool US, 12 Bobs Blue Boy NZ, Howard Bromac, No Blue Manna 11, Ohoka Ace NZ, The Warp Drive 10, Tromos, 7 Home Of Jack, Penny Veejay, 6.5 Maheer Lord NZ, 6 Conte De Cristo NZ, Flaming Roadstar, 5 Sokyola NZ, Mustang Fighter, Camlach, Money Magnet NZ, 3 About To Rock, 2 Dinky Di. 

Third Night:  Hobart, March 26, 2570m 

It was desperation time for connections of horses needing big points to ensure a start in the rich Grand Final.  Stewards warned all drivers that a maximum effort was required from those fortunate enough to have the points on the board to make it through to the following week. 

HEAT 8:
Blacks A Fake showed how it could muster speed from barrier 5, dashing around the early leaders to cross to the inside.  The placings in this final heat were filled by two pacers drawn on the inside of the Queenslander.  It was a far happier trainer/driver Natalie Rasmussen following the horse’s unlucky effort at its previous start.  In fact, so well did this son of Fake Left US go that many trackside now believed it could win the Grand Final if it drew better than Slipnslide. 

The heat was marred by a fall that sent Greg Bennett crashing to the track from Hexus.  The American pacer Cams Fool US was retired from the heat by Anthony Butt.  The points for second (Howard Bromac NZ) and third (Safari) would just fall marginally short of what they would need to make it through. 

Blacks A Fake ft (Natalie Rasmussen), 1; Howard Bromac NZ ft (Kirk Larson),  2; Safari ft (Brian Gath), 3. 

HEAT 9:
One of the consistent performers in the early heats without winning was the young mare Foreal NZ.  In this heat it gained valuable points in beating Cobbitty Classic and Slipnslide, with Sweet Fame USA and Karloo Mick finishing close up to pick-up good points. Dinky Di (NSW) was a scratching.  Foreal NZ was proving a better drive for Kiwi Anthony Butt than his imported Cams Fool USA. 

Foreal NZ ft (Anthony Butt), 1; Cobbitty Classic ft (Andrew McCarthy), 2; Slipnslide ft (Luke McCarthy), 3. 

HEAT 10:
The last of the 10 qualifying heats would provide some evidence as to whether the top class Be Good Johnny was becoming a victim of three tough heats having gone into the Series without a race since winning the Victoria Cup on February 12.  Other Grand Circuit winners seemingly struggling in the Series racing in this heat were About To Rock and Lookslikelightning. 

The reliable Flashing Red showed his great recent form was no flash in the pan, winning the heat from Lookslikelightning and London Legend NZ, the latter sneaking into the points for a place in the Grand Final. 

Flashing Red ft (Geoff Webster), 1; Lookslikelightning ft (Ryan Warwick), 2; London Legend NZ ft (Gavin Lang), 3.