Perfect Gold Lombo and Kerryn Manning will combine in the Watpac ID08 Pacing Grand Final
Women, headed by Natalie Rasmussen, hold the strongest hand ever of taking out an Inter Dominion Pacing Grand Final with four contenders in Saturday night’s $750,000 Watpac-sponsired finale at Moonee Valley.
The Brisbane-based Rasmussen drives hot favourite Blacks A Fake as the star duo go for a record-equalling third straight grand final win to match the deeds of NSW horseman Brian Hancock and Our Sir Vancelot, who scored from 1997-99.
With champion Victorian driver Kerryn Manning and Kate Thompson also engaged on Perfect Gold Lombo and Diamonds And Furs, respectively, the Inter Dominion has it greatest female representation.
Top Victorian trainer Jayne Davies completes the quartet as the trainer of Penny Veejay, who will be driven by Chris Alford.
So far, only Rasmussen, who turns 31 on Monday, has tasted Inter Dominion glory, becoming the first successful woman driver with Blacks A Fake in Hobart three years ago and repeating in Adelaide last year.
But even with her amazing record of 39 wins and 10 placings in 52 drives on Blacks A Fake, Rasmussen - or any other female driver - are not on the same page as Manning.
Manning has consistently outgunned her male rivals to be Australian top driver. She set her Australian record of 371 winners in the 2002-2003 season.
Her Watpac ID08 final drive Perfect Gold Lombo was the horse to give her a world record equalling tally of 2132 wins for a female when he scored at Geelong in October 2005. She has since extended that record to 2575.
She drove more than 200 winners each season from 1999/2000 to 2005/06. Her total prizemoney won in Australia is $16.6 million.
Perfect Gold Lombo, who has barrier two, gives WA its only link to the Watpac Inter Dominion. The gelding was bred by leviathan Fremantle breeder Mick Lombardo and had a successful Gloucester Park campaign for Capel trainer Greg Harper before being returned to his Melbourne owners for the series.
Manning has driven in 11 Inter Dominion finals with her best place being runner-up on La Coocaracha in the 2002 final for trotters.
Kate Thompson hopes to top her biggest win on About To Rock in the 2006 $500,000 Hunter Cup by giving herself and partner Andy Gath the perfect wedding present by causing an upset with Diamonds And Furs.
Thompson and trainer Gath get married on Sunday.
As the defending champion Rasmussen has the final word on tomorrow’s outcome, declaring Blacks A Fake spot on after her soft win in last Saturday’s second semi-final in much slower time than the track record win of Safari in the first semi.
“He didn’t go as fast as Safari but I didn’t want him to have a gut buster so it was a perfect run going into the final,” Rasmussen said.
Safari, driven by Brian Gath, has eased in ID08 betting since drawing the outside of the back row.
By Gino Di Mori
