The eldest McCarthy brother won the pacing final on Saturday at Menangle Park.

by Adam Hamilton

The McCarthy name is so big in the U.S. now, but Down Under fans were reminded of the family’s greatness Saturday night (Dec. 14) in the sport’s most iconic event, the Inter Dominion pacing final.

Luke McCarthy, older brother of Andy and Todd, filled the one “mega race” void in his phenomenal career when Don Hugo won brilliantly in McCarthy’s 11^th drive in the race.

“The Inter Dominion is like the Little Brown Jug in the U.S., it’s not the biggest or richest race, but it’s the one you want to win because of all its history,” McCarthy said.

“When you grow up as a kid in the game here [in Australia], the races you dream of winning are the Inter Dominion, Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup and Victoria Cup. I’d won the others and it’s great to tick this one off the Bucket List. It’s taken me a few goes.”

And what a win it was in an epic contest.

“Yeah, that was some sort of race to be part of,” McCarthy said. “When Minstrel came at me about 700 meters from home, I knew it would be full tilt from there because he’s such a great, seasoned old stayer.

“I’d had such a soft run just in behind the leader, I knew my guy would run a wicked last mile, but Minstrel never stopped coming at me. He was mighty.”

Don Hugo obliterated the 2,300-meter track record with a 1:50.4 mile rate, taking a full second off the previous mark.

And he capped a stunning rise to stardom, having won the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka, at Menangle on Sept. 7.

“He’s a ripper, this horse,” McCarthy said. “He just keeps getting better. Every time he goes out for a break, he comes back and goes to a new level.

“It’s a credit to [owner] Tony [Licastro]. He spells at his place and absolutely thrives.”

Don Hugo, still a 4-year-old, has only raced 41 times for 14 wins, 16 placings and earned $1,536,174.

“That’s the great thing, he’s still so young and getting better,” McCarthy said. “He could end up one of the best I’ve driven at this rate.”

More features beckon.

“Next stop is the Hunter Cup [on Feb. 1 at Melton] and then we’ll chase the Miracle Mile back here [at Menangle in March],” McCarthy said.

“I know it’ll get much harder because Leap To Fame and Swayzee weren’t here tonight, but this horse is still on the up.”

Veterans Minstrel (rising 8) and Max Delight (rising 9) finished second and third, respectively.

“I was so proud of him. He gave me everything and went great,” Minstrel’s driver Deni Roberts said. “A couple of times I thought I might get to Luke, but his horse had an easier run from a better draw and just kept finding.”

Max Delight’s trainer David Aiken, who is two-and-a-half years into a battle with prostate cancer, was oozing with pride after the race.

“That was his 128^th start and I don’t think he’s ever gone faster or better,” Ailen said. “It was a great drive by Nathan [Jack] and the old boy gave it everything. You can’t ask for any more.”

THE LOCOMOTIVE DOMINATES TROTTING INTER DOMINION

Owner Glen Holland admits his “accidental” love for trotters is one of the best things to happen to him.

It started in 2016 when he bought a Bettors Delight yearling with high hopes of pacing stardom, but Drop The Hammer turned out to be a trotter.

“He won 26 races and over $300,000 and suddenly I loved trotters,” Holland said, laughing.

On Saturday night, Holland landed his biggest win as an owner when his former star juvenile trotter The Locomotive thrashed his rivals in the Inter Dominion trotting final at Menangle.

Like the mighty Just Believe in the previous two Inter Dominions, The Locomotive took a clean sweep by winning all three heats and the final. He’s won his past eight starts.

Holland revealed he recently “spent-up” at the yearling sales in the U.S. on three trotting yearlings with his friend, trainer Darren Hancock, who picked them out.

“We got two Chapter Seven colts and a Tactical Landing filly,” he said. “They’re due here [in Australia] any day now. It’s really exciting.”

The Locomotive gave Goulburn trainer/driver Brad Hewitt his biggest moment in the game.

“And what an easy drive to do it,” Hewitt said. “He cruised it. It’s amazing my first really big win has come with a trotter, but it’s exciting.”

Holland confirmed Hewitt would continue training The Locomotive after Victorian Wayne Potter prepared him to a string of major wins as a juvenile.

“Whether we go to the Great Southern Star [at Melton on Feb. 1], to Cambridge [New Zealand] in April for their big race or the next Inter Dominion [at Albion Park in July, 2025], Brad will be with him,” Holland said.

The Locomotive, still just 5, boasts an impressive 22 wins from just 35 starts and has earned $485,758.

MISTER SMARTIE AIMING FOR 2025 INTER DOMINION

As one Inter Dominion closed, champion Western Australian trainer Gary Hall, Sr. was plotting his attack on the next with his latest star Mister Smartie.

A change of venue, format and schedule means the next Inter Dominion series will be held at Brisbane’s Albion Park in just seven months (July 2025).

And the prize money will get a serious boost, the pacing final doubles to $1 million, while the trotting final is up from $150,000 to $400,000.

Hall, Sr. revealed the plans after the long-awaited clash of Western Australia’s two brightest young stars proved a one-sided fizzer.

Mister Smartee, a 4-year-old son of Always B Miki, sat outside and toyed with another boom 4-year-old, Never Ending, to make it 15 wins from just 18 starts, including 10 from 11 this year.

Hall, Sr.’s son, champion driver Gary Hall, Jr. drives both, but opted to stick with Mister Smartee just days before the clash despite drawing outside of Never Ending.

“I wouldn’t judge Never Ending too harshly,” Hall, Jr. said. “It’s no secret he had an interrupted prep trying to get home [from Sydney after the Eureka in September], while this guy had come all the way through and been very impressive this season. He deserved me to stick with him.

“It was very hard to get off a horse like Never Ending with his big following and great group of owners, who’ve been so good to me.

“But Never Ending just got a bit keen on [trainer/driver] Justin Prentice in front, which allowed me to go slow and outsprint them.

“But full credit to this horse with the [limited number] of starts he’s had, to come through a WA Pacing Cup and go on to win a Nugget from the breeze. All things being equal he should come back a better horse.”

Asked whether Mister Smartee had champion potential, like former stablemate and three-time Inter Dominion winner Im Themightyquinn, Hall. Jr. said: “Yeah look, I think he’s going the right way about it. He used to be a very ‘revvy’ horse and pull his head off in races, but he’s settled and matured. He’s starting to turn into the full package.”

Hall, Sr. said Mister Smartee would have five weeks off now before chasing the $1.25 million Nullarbor and $350,000 Fremantle Cup at Gloucester Park in April before switching focus to the Brisbane Inter Dominion.

“The timing for the [Albion Park] Inter Dominion works well because he can go to the two big races here, then have a freshen-up and get ready for Queensland,” Hall, Sr. said.

“It’s not ideal the long trip, but he’s good enough and I want to support a club who is getting some proper prize money back into the Inter Dominion with a $1 million final.

“It’s so important for the [future of] the race that these next three Inter Dominions are big and successful and I’ll do my part to support them with a horse I think can be a major player.”

THORNLEY WINS INTER DOM YOUNG DRIVERS’ TITLE

New Zealander Sam Thornley scored a runaway win in the Inter Dominion Young Drivers’ Championship.

Thornley, 22, went into Saturday night’s final heat of the series at Menangle with an unbeatable lead, and iced it by easily winning that ninth and final heat aboard former Kiwi pacer Tact McLeod.

Tact McLeod, a hard-luck story in last month’s big New Zealand Cup and New Zealand free-for-all double at Addington, got a consolation win for being scratched from the Inter Dominion itself with an untimely hoof abscess.

“It was great to share a win like that with Sam to make it an all-Kiwi affair,” Tact McLeod’s New Zealand-based trainer Mark Jones said.

Tact McLeod now heads to Victoria for some lead-up racing before chasing the $400,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on Feb. 1 at Melton.

“I think he’ll make a topliner, but he needs some seasoning in better races, which he’ll get in Victoria,” Jones said.