Meadowbranch DJ Connections
The fourth and final heat of the Anglo-Irish Inter Dominion, run over 2400m at Portmarnock near Dublin was won by overall series winner Meadowbranch DJ in the fourth track record in as many races.
Trained in Ireland by William Flanagan and owned by Meadowbranch Stables the seven year-old led with over a lap to go and as he did when winning the first race in the series, never saw a rival as he extended his lead all the way to the winning line scoring by 5½ lengths. Each heat saw a track record fall and this was no exception, with a huge 5.7 seconds taken off the previous track record with a time of 2.57.3.
Over the past four heats the duel between Meadowbranch DJ and Brywinsmagicpotion has been fantastic to watch, each finishing either a place in front or behind the other. After Brywinsmagicpotion, the lead British horse, won heat two and finished ahead in the third round he held the upper hand with twenty points to eighteen. However Meadowbranch DJ’s two stage successes (heats one and four) put him – despite having the same amount of points – as the winner of the Anglo-Irish Inter Dominion using a countback based on the number of wins recorded.
Driver John Richardson after the race said: “He’s had two hard trips the last two weeks, but it all came off again today – we even took him to the beach to freshen him up in preparation. At the start of the year I didn’t think he was going to be the horse for the Inter Dominion, but now, this means everything – I’ve never been to Australia!”
Eighteen years after injury-stricken Sable Matters travelled ‘down-under’ for the Inter Dominion for Mark Flanagan, owner of Meadowbranch Stables, he will finally get to finish what he started. “This is a big achievement for the whole Meadowbranch team. This is what we’re in the job for; to live off dreams and this is a dream now. Dermot Weld won the Melbourne Cup, why couldn’t we win the Inter-Dominion?”
Meadowbranch DJ will go into quarantine in Newmarket in early September before travelling to Sydney and then on to Gloucester Park in Perth. The Australasian series commences on Friday 27th November with the final on the 13th December.
For the latest Inter Dominion news visit www.perthinterdominion.com.au
