by Adam Hamilton

Fresh back from a stint in the U.S., champion horseman Luke McCarthy is favored to win Down Under’s iconic Inter Dominion pacing final for the first time at Menangle on Saturday night (Dec. 14).

McCarthy looks to have timed Don Hugo’s preparation superbly and the 4-year-old has drawn ideally, most likely to find the lead, from barrier 3.

The 42-year-old McCarthy, older brother of the U.S.-based Andy and Todd, has driven in 11 Inter Dominion finals with his best results being third placing on four occasions, most recently with For A Reason in 2015.

It would be fitting if McCarthy, who is nearing 3,000 career driving wins and has 79 at Group 1 level, added an Inter Dominion to his bulging CV.

Don Hugo, who brilliantly won the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka on Sept. 7, had some rest while McCarthy went to the U.S. to help settle-in some of his classy pacers like Spirit Of St Louis, Expensive Ego and Bondi Lockdown.

McCarthy was always returning with the Inter Dominion in mind for Don Hugo.

Things didn’t start as hoped when the son of Art Major led and tired late for fifth in his first-round heat at Newcastle on Nov. 29.

“That was probably a trainer error,” Luke said. “I didn’t quite have him wound up enough, but he bounced out of that race, came on a lot to win night two and felt even better again tonight [Dec. 7].

“That was a really good win tonight. He was three-wide for a long time early and even when he found the front, he raced really keen, but still won it easily.

“It gives me a lot of confidence going into the final and now we’ve got a good draw, too, which was always going to be super important in such an even field.”

Replay here.

Barrier 3 in the $500,000 race over 2,300 meters has seen Don Hugo firm to a clear favorite at $2.60 (for a $1 bet).

Local Menangle trainer Jason Grimson, who is chasing a remarkable third Inter Dominion pacing final wins in the past four years, has two finalists – Curly James (barrier 5) and Nerano (8, outside the front row).

The barrier draw has made life harder for two other stars of the heats, mighty Western Australian stayer Minstrel (gate 11, $5.50) and dual heat winner Captains Knock (inside back row gate 9, $5).

Captains Knock’s trainer/driver Brad Hewitt, who trains at Goulburn in country NSW, will have not just his first, but his first and second Inter Dominion final drives on Saturday night.

As well as Captains Knock in the pacing final, Hewitt has hot favorite The Locomotive, drawn ideally in barrier 4, in the trotting final.

The Locomotive, the only pacer or trotter to go through the three rounds of qualifying heats unbeaten, is $1.55 favorite (for a $1 bet).

Star Kiwi-owned mare Queen Elida (gate 5), who won two heats and finished a close second in the third, and emerging Victorian trotter Keayang Chucky (gate 3) are the other major players.

Victorian trainer Marg Lee, who is the talk of Down Under with her unbeaten filly Keayang Zahara (more on her later), qualified a remarkable three trotters for the 12-horse field. They are Keayang Chucky, Keayang Stuka and Aldebaran Vera.

RACING FUTURE OF JUST BELIEVE UNCERTAIN

In other big Down Under news, the racing future of champion trotter Just Believe is uncertain after a setback cut short his New Zealand campaign last week.

Trainer Jess Tubbs would not be drawn into a time frame for his return, but did reveal some concerns had centered around the global superstar since his brave last start second in the Group 1 New Zealand Trotting free-for-all at Addington on Nov. 15.

“Greg [Sugars] wasn’t 100 per cent happy with him after that last run,” she said. “We’ve been monitoring him for a while and noticed a few changes, so it’s best for him that we reassess things and bring him home for a break.

“It’s another reason we didn’t go back to the Inter Dominion. He didn’t need those four runs in two weeks and the travel that would’ve gone with it.

“We have and always will put the horse first, so we are erring on the side of safety.”

Tubbs added rest was the best option with Just Believe now.

“We’re not trying to find anything, there are no checks to do when he gets home, we know what we are dealing with,” she said. “We’re not talking in terms of any [upcoming big] races or those sorts of things at the moment.

“Whether he comes back at all depends on how he is and what’s right for him, there is no time frame. If he doesn’t come back, then he doesn’t owe us anything.”

Just Believe, under the superb guidance of Tubbs and Sugars, has done a remarkable job as a 7-, 8- and now 9-year-old to travel and race so extensively at the top level — including last year’s extended Swedish campaign — without any issues.

Just Believe boasts 38 wins and his earnings of $1,929,253 put him second-only to the great Lyell Creek ($2,256,724) as the all-time richest Down Under trotter.

KEAYANG ZAHARA NOW 14-FOR-14

Freakish trotting filly Keayang Zahara stretched her unbeaten streak to 14 wins with another feature race domination in Christchurch last Friday night.

The 3-year-old daughter of Volstead made light work of what was supposed to be her biggest test, she dashed clear to win the $200,000 Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Derby by eight lengths, with Jason Lee letting her coast to the line.

Replay here.

It was her seventh Group 1 win in a career which only started on April 3 and she’s banked almost $700,000.

Keayang Zahara’s aggregate winning margin has been 206.1 meters, that’s an average of 14.7 meters.

She now returns to Australia for a spell with no definite plans on a return date.

“That’s something we’ll all sit down and work out once she’s home and in the paddock,” driver Jason Lee said. “The best part is she’s bred and raced by our family, so there’s no pressure to get her back quickly.”

That means majors like the Great Southern Star in February and TAB Trot back in New Zealand in April seem unlikely.

But a series like next year’s Brisbane Inter Dominion — now slated for July — looks enticing and well-timed.