Inter Dominion Series to be one of the Best on Record
Inter Dominion Series to be one of the Best on Record
Champion pacer Lazarus is considered the best horse in the southern hemisphere – at least in his native New Zealand.
But to frank that tag in Australia, the all-conquering Mark Purdon-reined and trained five-year-old sensation needs to win the final of the $1.1M TABtouch Inter Dominion at Gloucester Park.
That may seem harsh, particularly after Lazarus recently became the latest dual winner of the Group 1 $800,000 New Zealand Cup at Addington.
Starting as the shortest-priced favourite in the race’s history, punters couldn’t get enough of the handsome entire in the lead-up to the biggest event on the New Zealand racing calendar.
And he didn’t let them down.
Lazarus started at odds of $1.40 and never at any stage did he let his supporters down.
Purdon had his superstar in front within 400m before turning the 3200m standing-start feature into a procession.
As it stood, Lazarus had never been beaten once he led and that record remained intact after he raced clear in the home straight to score by almost six lengths from Jacks Legend, while the Australian-trained Tiger Tara filled third despite breaking with 800m remaining.
His winning time was 3:55.0 – a mile rate of 1:58.1.
“The start was important and he made a great go of it,” Purdon said.
“He’s a pleasure to train. There’s no fuss about him, nothing smart about him, he’s just one of the boys in the barn and just a lovely horse.”
Purdon knows what it takes to win an Inters final at Gloucester Park.
He trained and reined last year’s winner – the now retired old warhorse Smolda, who defeated Hectorjayjay and Beaudiene Boaz.
And here he is 12 months later with Lazarus, the most-talked about pacer in this part of the world.
With 31 wins from 36 starts and more than $2.6 million in the bank, there’s reason to believe the best is still to come from this pacing phenomenon and his record-breaking mentor.
And with two legs of the 2017/18 Grand Circuit series decided, the two pacers equal at the top of the leaderboard with 100 points each are Lennytheshark (the winner of the Victoria Cup) and Lazarus (New Zealand Cup winner) – and now they’re set to square off once again.
The last time they met, Lennytheshark proved victorious when successful in the Miracle Mile at Sydney’s Menangle Park back in February.
It also coincides as the last time that Lazarus tasted defeat……nine starts ago!
But who will do the talking this time around?
Lazarus’ detractors – and surprisingly, there still are a few – claim he’ll struggle around the tight GP circuit.
Others claim he’s been gifted quite a few of his wins when rival drivers have decided to take a sit on the champ and run for the minor end of the prize money.
Lazarus has never been beaten in front, in fact no horse has ever run past him in a race.
He has a relentless cruising speed which zaps his rival’s sprints, and the times he has shown even the slightest vulnerability have been when asked to come wide or sprint off another horse’s back.
That was how Smolda beat him in the Ballarat Cup, Lennytheshark in the Miracle Mile and he even had a speed wobble three-wide on the bend in an easy kill four-year-old race at Melton last February.
He has allayed those fears this season, with all three lead-up victories before the New Zealand Cup being when he has come from behind or sat parked – as was the case in his Kaikoura Cup stunner.
It has shown that Lazarus, after some average workouts to start his season when he was too fat, has now become a trimmed-down racing machine similar or even better to last year.
The “Fab Four” – Lazarus, Lennytheshark, Soho Tribeca and Chicago Bull – were the only horses under double figures going into the series.
The 2016 Inters champion Lennytheshark is in “red-hot” form and he knows his way around the tight GP circuit.
The same can be said about local hopes Soho Tribeca and Chicago Bull.
Both pacers are at the height of their powers and can test Lenny and Lazarus, particularly if they happen to find the front in their heats or in the rich final.
Many pundits have claimed that Soho Tribeca, beaten at his last two starts before the Inters by Chicago Bull after he’d done all the bullocking work, has been racing in better heart than his local rival.
The jury’s still out on that, but one thing remains certain.
This Inter Dominion series is shaping up to be one of the best on record, despite some of the early fancies being scratched.
A total of 28 horses were left in the series after the fourth-ranked Our Dream About Me was withdrawn.
Major Reality, Jilliby Jagger, Condrieu, Im Full Of Excuses and Bettor Reward held spots inside the top 30 after the fourth rankings were released, but were also withdrawn on the eve of the series.
The withdrawals meant Egodan, Cut For An Ace, Lets Chase The Dream and Tanaka Eagle, who were all outside of the top 30 following the release of the fourth rankings, secured a start in the series.
RWWA Harness Racing Chief Handicapper Warren Wishart said he was pleased with the final field.
“While it is disappointing not to have the full complement of 30 runners, the talent in the final acceptances is sure to make for an outstanding series,” Wishart said.
We thought it would give punters a good insight if we asked some of the regulars at headquarters for their tips for the final and their best roughie.
Sport Daily’s Gareth Hall: Winner Of The Final: Lennytheshark; Best Roughie: Motu Premier.
WATA’s chief executive Michael Radley: Lazarus; Yayas Hot Spot.
Scott Hamilton Media’s Scott Hamilton: Lazarus; Jambiani.
TABradio’s Matt Young: Soho Tribeca; The Bucket List.
GP race caller Richie Bell: Lennytheshark; Tiger Tara.
GP on-course announcer Ken Casellas: Lazarus; Motu Premier.
WATA committeeman Garry Scott: Lazarus; Tanaka Eagle.
WATA committeeman Alan Parker: Lazarus; Tiger Tara.
The West Australian’s Ernie Manning: Lazarus; Mr Mojito.
The Sunday Times’ Robbie Dewar: Chicago Bull; Shandale.
WA Media Guild President Wayne Currall: Soho Tribeca; Shandale.
Trainee race caller Hayden King: Chicago Bull; Motu Premier.
Wayne Currall