By Adam Hamilton
THERE is a Perth Inter Dominion flavour to Tuesday’s Northam meeting in rural Western Australian.
And it’s fascinating international flavour.
The inaugural UK/Irish Inter Dominion invitee, Meadowbranch DJ, makes his Down Under debut.
Under the Aussie handicapping conditions, the gelding is assessed very lightly as just a C2.
So connections have been able to pick a “soft target” to give the son of Real Artist his first taste of Aussie racing.
Meadowbranch DJ, a winner of 23 of his 62 starts, will start from barrier 10 on the back row in a C2 race, the eighth and final race at Northam.
If he’s going to be in any way competitive in the Inter Dominion, Meadowbranch DJ should win.
A glance through the form shows only Mike Reed’s handy Kiwi-bred mare Foxy Dame as a genuine danger.
She’s raced just 17 times for four wins and seven placings.
GARY Hall Sr’s Inter Dominion stocks continue to rise.
Lightly-raced five-year-old Waylade won the Mount Eden Sprint at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
But it was runner-up My Hard Copy who grabbed the eye with a barnstorming second over the unsuitably short 1730m trip.
In a hotly run race, Waylade settled midfield, roared to the front on the final bend, but had to dig deep to stave-off the late charge from My Hard Copy in a 1min53.5sec mile rate.
My Hard Copy, an upset winner of the Group 1 WA Cup in January, was only second-up from a spell.
The other runner to catch the eye was Bettiors Fire, who was first-up from a break and charged home late from last to finish a close fourth.
LAST season’s champion three-year-old Menin Gate is building nicely towards his Perth raid.
Trainer Larry Eastman has a string of major four-year-old races, headed by the Group 1 Golden Nugget, in his sights.
Menin Gate, who hasn’t raced since winning the Breeders Crown 3YO final on August 30, won a trial at Maryborough last Sunday week.
He comfortably beat stablemate, talented mare Morton Plains, who will accompany him to Perth.
Rounding out a trio of Eastman’s horses heading west is tough mare Milly Perez, who flew home late for second in a strong mares’ race at Melton last Friday night.
One of the great side dishes of the Perth Inter Dominion series will be the clashes between Menin Gate and buzz local Beaudiene Boaz through the four-year-old features.
EMERGING Victorian pacer Major Crocker won’t be out of place in the Perth Inter Dominion.
The former Breeders Crown champ upstaged Inter Dom favourite Lennytheshark three starts back.
And last Friday night he thrashed a handy field in a 1min54.4sec for 1720m at Melton.
Greg Sugars drove a superb race, pushing through from a back row draw to settle midfield then surging around to take the lead in the middle stages.
The Vince Vallelonga-trained gelding has won 18 of his 45 starts and over $370,000.
His versatility and tractability on smaller tracks, like Gloucester Park, make a horse to respect when the Inter Dom starts on November 27.
At the same meeting, much-travelled mare Sophies Ideal staked her claim for a Perth trip with a blistering upset win in the Melton Mares’ Championship.
Back with trainer Wayne Potter after a long NSW stint with Darren Hancock, Sophies Ideal sustained a long three-wide run in a 54.4sec last 800m to win easily as a $47.60 outsider.
Connections will now consider a trip west for the Group 1 Mares’ Championship at Gloucester Park.
TRAINER Shane Tritton thinks former Kiwi mare Arms Of An Angel has Group 1 potential, but he’s not aiming there just yet.
Tritton admitted to being tempted by the lure of the Group 1 WA Mares’ Championship at Gloucester Park in a few weeks.
“We think she’s really, really good, but it’s not in her best interest to head to Perth at this stage,” he said.
“We’ll keep him here (NSW) and go through the grades then look at the big races.”
Arms Of An Angel won two of her 23 starts in NZ before Tritton’s friend and client, Zac Cornell, bought her.
The daughter of Elsu’s two wins from as many Aussie runs have been simply remarkable.
Arms Of An Angel led by 50m, broke midrace and lost 50m, before recovering to win by 32.4m at Newcastle on October 23.
She then race a fair bit more tractably and a smashed the clock with a 1min50.7sec mile to win by 18.7m at Menangle last Sunday week.
“It’s the third fastest time in this part of the world by a mare, behind only Adore Me and Baby Bling,” Tritton said.
EXCITING trotter Glenferrie Typhoon is back on song.
The six-year-old had tying-up issues when a wilting fifth in the Maryborough Trotters’ Cup, but bounced back with an easy win last Friday night at Melton.
“He went from cruising to gone in two strides at Maryborough and we found he tied-up,” trainer Andy Gath said.
“We trialled him last Monday and he went well so we just put that run behind us.”
Glenferrie Typhoon worked to the front, ripped home in 27.7sec and won with seemingly plenty up his sleeve.
“Now he gets his chance in the big races with the Bill Collins Mile next week,” Gath said.
Former Kiwi there-year-old Three Ways gave Gath and wife, Kate, a double at Melton.
Recently bought by Norm Jenkin of Flashing Red fame, Three Ways could not have been more impressive winning his first Aussie run.
The son of Mach Three sat off a hot pace and, when cut loose by Kate Gath, roared away to win by 34.5m in a slick 1min57.3sec mile rate for 2240m.
The short term plan is a tilt at the SA Derby in January.
ANOTHER “Glenferrie” trotter snared the feature race at Menangle last Saturday night.
Glenferrie Dreamer continued his improvement for Team McCarthy with a narrow but impressive victory in the $31,200 Group 2 Franco Australian Trotters’ final (3009m).
The six-year-old son of Dream Vacation was driven by Todd McCarthy and beat favourite On Thunder Road by a half-neck in a slick 2min0.6sec mile rate for the marathon trip.
The pacing free-for-all on the night went to James Rattray with former Tasmanian Devendra.
“I’m really keen to take him to the Inter Dominion, but he’s going to need a few to drop out to make the cut for a spot in the heats,” Rattray said.
Devendra was 36th in the final rankings with only the top 30 making it through to the qualifying heats at Gloucester Park on November 27.
“If he sneaks in he will be competive. He’s got high gate speed and will handle the small track,” Rattray said.
QUEENSLAND trainer Ian Gurney is looking good for three runners in the Perth Inter Dominion series.
Stable stars Avonnova and Our Hi Jinx are safely in and the rejuvenated Mach Alert is just one spot outside the 30-horse cut-off on the final rankings list.
Mach Alert appreciated a drop in class and barrier one when he brilliantly won the free-for-all at Albion Park last Saturday night,.
The eight-year-old ran a slick 1min52.9sec mile rate for 1660m with closing splits of 54.8 and 26.9sec.
Gurney is taking all three to Melbourne this week to tackle Friday night’s $50,000 Group 2 Smoken Up at Melton.
Other likely runners include Lennytheshark, Flaming Flutter and Mach Beauty.
It will be interesting to see whether trainer Emma Stewart throws the emerging Yankee Rockstar into the Smoken Up.
The five-year-old posted his 17th win from just 23 starts when he thrashed a handy field at Bendigo last Saturday night.
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