WA pacer Minstrel winning his ID24 heat at Newcastle tonight. Photo by HRNSW
STRONG performances set the scene on the opening rounds of the TAB Inter Dominion Championship for 2024 with equal favourites emerging for the pacing final from opposing sides of the country.
Seven-year-old Western Australian raider Minstrel ($1.70 favourite) followed up on his Group 1 WA Pacing Cup (2536m) victory with a commanding win in heat one over the 2030-metre trip at Newcastle with a lot more to look forward to when round three and the final takes place at the wider expanses of the Menangle circuit.
"I can't wait to get him to Menangle," driver Deni Roberts said
"I could have gone a bit quicker if I wanted to, but we probably haven't got to show his speed back home with our smaller track at Gloucester Park.
"I think it is going to show definitely when we go to Menangle that when that he can actually roll off a really nice half (mile).
"He's off his head," Roberts added as the gelding continued to exude energy beyond the finish line.
After the first round pacing heats, Minstrel is $4.60 equal favourite for the ID24 Pacing Championship Final (2300m) on December 14 with Curly James who finished second to ID23 Consolation winner Cantfindabettorman.
Running through the line to the satisfaction of two-time Inter Dominion winner Chris Alford, Cantfindabettorman now occupied the fourth line of betting for the final at $7.
Of the three pacing heats, Captains Knock delivered the toughest effort in winning heat two and described by driver Brad Hewitt as "the perfect little racehorse".
Hewitt also took out heat one of the Trotters Championship with short-priced favourite The Locomotive ($1.70) who looked to have more in store and notched his fifth win in succession this campaign and claimed favouritism for the final also on December 14.
"He was really good," Hewitt said.
"He got going down the back and obviously we'd only gone slow so he was entitled to have a good kick left.
"I'm sure if I'd asked he'd have had more to offer."
Seven-time Group 1 winner Queen Elida ($2.40 favourite) notched the faster of the two trotters heats to give Chris Alford a pair of victories in the series so far.
Racing keenly throughout the 2030m event, Alford said that the mare would settle into her racing as the series continued.
The second round of heats takes place at Bathurst on Wednesday.
