Don Hugo - ID 24 Heat 5 Win. Photo courtesy HRNSW. Photo by Brett Atkins
TAB Eureka hero Don Hugo put his stamp on the NSW Inter Dominion with a sparkling heat win in the wet on night two at Bathurst.
In contrast to a lacklustre fifth at Newcastle last Friday, the Luke McCarthy-trained star looked sharp and blitzed his rivals last night.
McCarthy won an early tussle for the lead, dictated terms in front and ripped home in 54.1 and 26.8sec on Don Hugo to win by 9.2m. District Attorney, who was just fair in second spot after trailing the leader, and outsider Unfazed, who sat three back on the pegs.
Mighty veteran Max Delight’s effort for fourth was big given the pattern of racing, while opening night winner Cantfindabettorman did plenty of midrace work and was far from disgraced in seventh spot.
Last year’s Brisbane Inter Dominion winner Leap To Fame came through the TAB Eureka, having finished second to Encipher in the inaugural 2023 running of the world’s richest race.
The biggest shock last night came in the pacing series when opening night star Minstrel had a gear malfunction and galloped his way out of the race.
The millionaire pacer finished tailed-out last and will need a top three finish in Saturday night’s last round of heats at Menangle on Saturday just to make the final.
It was revealed one hopple pin didn’t release, then the other got tangled when driver Deni Roberts tried to activate it.
Minstrel’s issues paved the way for a monstrous upset in last night’s third pacing heat – run in torrential rain on a very heavy track – when the much travelled Petes Said So zipped home from three pegs to beat leader My Moonlite Dream, with Cya Art third after trailing the leader.
The Bathurst track is renowned for its leader and peg bias, but that was extreme on the wet track last night.
The first three home in that third heat raced on the pegs and so did the other two heat winners.
In the first heat, Jason Grimson’s classy sit-sprinter Nerano returned to his best with an easy win after trailing the leader and dashing up the sprint lane to bolt in, clocking a 1min51.4sec mile rate for 1730m.
The emerging Dangerous, who grabbed the eye on opening night, ran another slashing race for second after making a midrace move and then getting the one-one trail.
Opening round heat winner, Captains Knock, was buried three pegs last night and finished well for third.
In the trotting series, brilliant Victorian mare Queen Elida remains unbeaten in the NSW Inter Dominion series after a wet and dramatic second round of heats at Bathurst last night.
While some big guns galloped, broke gear and ran into bad luck, Queen Elida dominated again, just as she did five days earlier in her first heat of the series at Newcastle.
“We had to really burn to get the front, but she kept it all together when others didn’t,” champion driver Chris Alford said.
“Once she found the front, she always felt in control. She did it easily.”
Queen Elida cleared out to win by 7.1m over Keayang Stuka, with Plymouth Chubb capping a Victorian-trained trifecta with a brave third after sitting outside the leader.
Big guns Keayang Chucky and London To A Brick – who now almost certainly can’t make the final – galloped early that heat and lost all chance.
Rejuvenated former Victorian, The Locomotive, joined Queen Elida as the only unbeaten runners in the Inter Dominion when he brilliantly won last night’s other trotting heat.
While he won without impressing at Newcastle, trainer-driver Brad Hewitt set a much quicker tempo in front last night and The Locomotive thrived, setting a track record 1min55.6sec mile rate for 1730m.
Victorian pair Aldebaran Zeus and Aldebaran Vera made good late ground for second and third respectively.
The crucial barrier draws for Saturday night’s last round of qualifying heats at Menangle will be released at noon today (Thursday).
