Trainer-driver Luke McCarthy ticked an Inter Dominion title off his bucket list when he steered his Eureka winner Don Hugo to another big payday at Menangle on Saturday night.
Don Hugo went into the 2024 TAB Inter Dominion Pacers Final as a $2.25 favourite on the back of two heat wins and survived some early fireworks and a determined bid from WA star Minstrel, smashing the track record for 2300m by a full second.
Still just a four-year-old, Don Hugo now rates as one of the country's most progressive pacers after landing the $2million TAB Eureka at Menangle in September and winning three races in ID 2024 from his only four starts since.
Don Hugo came into the series first up and improved off a fifth in round one for dominant wins from the front in his next two heats.
But McCarthy chose not to push the son of Art Major for the early lead in the final, instead letting the speedsters from out wide battle early and it proved a master stroke.
Sitting with cover in the one-one, McCarthy let Don Hugo stride to the front with about 800 metres to go with Deni Roberts making her move on Minstrel about the same time.
What followed was a two-horse war with the more mature and race-hardened Minstrel pouring the pressure on his younger rival.
But Don Hugo was up for the fight and pulled out plenty in the home straight to dig out a 1.6m win over a brave Minstrel, with another tough veteran Max Delight chasing strongly along the pegs for third.
"Thank God, I've been trying for a while," McCarthy said of finally landing an Inter Dominion title.
"It's nice to tick that one off the bucket list."
McCarthy was full of praise for his four-year-old and the progress he has made this season.
"This horse has just kept improving all the time, it's so good for (owner) Tony (Licastro) and his family.
"To win a Eureka and now an Inter Dominion, it's a dream come true."
McCarthy said his early decision to ease out of the speed battle worked out well but he was ready for Roberts when she made her move on Minstrel and had anticipated the young WA star turning the race into a staying test.
"I was just hoping we had enough gas in the tank to keep going."
McCarthy has been involved with plenty of quality horses but Don Hugo is rapidly climbing the ranks.
"He is building right up there," he said.
He's only a young horse, hopefully he's got a few more really good seasons left in him."
