The intense action of the WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion heats up this Saturday night at Newcastle’s Harold Park as the club hosts the four 2030m second-round Qualifying heats for the pacing feature of the year.
Last week the preliminary heats were held with the favourites reigning supreme in three of the races, but a few surprise roughies stepping up to fill the minor placings ahead of their higher seeded rivals.
The top 10 pacers at the end of the night will get their chance at the $1million final on Sunday March 7 at Menangle.
ID10 Heat 5:
The first Qualifying heat this Saturday night sees last week’s Heat 1 winner Atomic Arc jump from barrier four. Atomic Ark caused the upset of the preliminary heats when the $25.70 outsider narrowly beat home the $2.50 favourite Changeover by a half neck with I Am Sam ($8.70) in third.
Despite their win last week, the Natalie Rasmussen-trained gelding looks outclassed this week and will need a whole lot of luck to finish in the top two and move on to the final.
Atomic Arc faces some strong competitors including the Barastoc Grand Circuit winner Washakie who ran second to Bondy in heat four last week. Prepared and driven by John McCarthy, Washakie has drawn wide for Saturday’s run starting from barrier ten.
Others to watch in the first heat this week include the Lance Justice-trained Smoken Up, drawn ideally in barrier two and Mark Peace’s Cincinnati Kid.
The talented Smoken Up ran third to Blacks A Fake last week while it was a slightly disappointing finish Cincinnati Kid in the third preliminary heat when they ran a well beaten fifth to Monkey King.
Smoken Up is likely to start as the favourite in the opening heat and his blessed barrier two start should be a breeze in comparison to his inside back row draw last week.
ID10 Heat 6:
Lining up in the nine-horse second Qualifying heat on Saturday night is the stunning winner of heat 4 last week, the David Butt trained and driven Bondy. The Live Or Die gelding has won 22 of his 41 career starts and has displayed impressive recent form winning his past three successive races. The Hunter Cup winner Bondy has drawn ideally in barrier two.
Bondy currently sits second on the ID10 points tally with 15.
Starting on the outside of the sure to be favourite is the Keith Cotchin-trained five-year-old Tanabi Bromac in barrier three. The classy Victorian, currently ranked equal ninth with 10 points, ran a crafty third in their heat last week behind the overall ID10 points’ leader Monkey King, and will be ridden on Saturday by champion reinsman Greg Sugars who replaces Gavin Lang.
Other in-form pacers engaged in the 9:00pm heat include the consistent Changeover in barrier six and Gavin Lang’s Sammy Maguire in barrier four.
ID10 Heat 7:
The third heat this Saturday sees the gifted Monkey King starting from barrier three. Monkey King is currently the highest ranked Inter Dominion contender with 17 points and the odds-on favourite to take out the 2010 series. The Sands A Flyin gelding looks well positioned to lead all the way on Saturday night as his brilliant barrier draw and sensational gate speed should see him hit the front early.
Victorian I Am Sam is also running in the 9:30pm heat and has drawn well in barrier two. The giant Alan Tubbs trained pacer ran third last week behind Atomic Ark and Changeover but faces a tough field this round.
Drawn on the far outside in barrier ten is Karloo Mick while Our Awesome Armbro, a runner-up last week, stands a solid chance after securing barrier one.
ID10 Heat 8:
The final heat at Harold Park this Saturday features another star studded field, headlined by Blacks A Fake. Trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen will be aboard the Fake Left gelding for the second-round following their success in the second heat last week. Blacks A Fake is seeking their fifth consecutive victory, but has drawn wide with barrier nine.
The other quality runner in the 10:00pm heat is Mr. Feelgood in barrier five, but no matter what the quality of rivals, they will have a hard time defeating the three time Inter Dominion champion Blacks A Fake.
The four second round Heats for the 2010 Inter Dominion are scheduled as races four (8:30pm), five (9:00pm), six (9:30pm) and seven (10:00pm) on Saturday night’s bumper nine-race programme.
WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion Championship Qualifying Heat 5:
Br. |
Form |
Horse |
Trainer |
Driver |
Class |
Handicap |
| 1 | 2s767 |
MYSTICAL WARRIOR |
G P Freeman | Jimmy Brown | C9 M1 | FR1 |
| 2 | 22273 |
SMOKEN UP (NZ) |
L J Justice | Lance Justice | C25 M20 | FR2 |
| 3 | 62115 |
CINCINNATI KID (NZ) |
M Peace | Mark Peace | C18 M13 | FR3 |
| 4 | 82421 |
ATOMIC ARK |
N C Rasmussen | Natalie Rasmussen | C18 M13 | FR4 |
| 5 | 82115 |
PRINCE BENJI |
S M Hunter | Gavin Lang | C10 M3 | FR5 |
| 6 | 62644 |
FEW GOOD MEN |
P W Tonkin | Ben Sarina | C8 M3 | FR6 |
| 7 | 35578 |
GAME SAFIN (NZ) |
J W Bennett | Greg Bennett | C9 M3 | FR7 |
| 8 | 60076 |
THE GUNSTAR |
D F Braun | Greg Sugars | C10 M3 | FR8 |
| 9 | 35259 |
FOX VALLEY APPEAL (USA) |
D L Smith | Blake Fitzpatrick | C14 M9 | FR9 |
| 10 | 11192 |
WASHAKIE (NZ) |
J P McCarthy | John McCarthy | C21 M15 | FR10 |
WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion Championship Qualifying Heat 6:
Br. |
Form |
Horse |
Trainer |
Driver |
Class |
Handicap |
| 1 | 01296 |
BE GOOD JOHNNY |
J P McCarthy | John McCarthy | C28 M23 | FR1 |
| 2 | 5s111 |
BONDY (NZ) |
D J Butt | David Butt | C21 M15 | FR2 |
| 3 | 21103 |
TANABI BROMAC |
K P Cotchin | Greg Sugars | C10 M4 | FR3 |
| 4 | 21534 |
SAMMY MAGUIRE (NZ) |
G A Lang | Gavin Lang | C13 M3 | FR4 |
| 5 | 25338 |
PANORAMA SWING |
P Sapio | Paul Sapio | C12 M7 | FR5 |
| 6 | 12112 |
CHANGEOVER (NZ) |
G C Small | David Butcher | C26 M20 | FR6 |
| 7 | 99829 |
BALTIC ICE |
G P Freeman | Greg Bennett | C8 M2 | FR7 |
| 8 | 32660 |
TEE PEE VILLAGE (NZ) |
M Peace | Mark Peace | C17 M10 | FR8 |
| 9 | 47517 |
MAGIC OPERATIVE |
N A Day | Neil Day | C9 M3 | FR9 |
WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion Championship Qualifying Heat 7:
Br. |
Form |
Horse |
Trainer |
Driver |
Class |
Handicap |
| 1 | 68102 |
OUR AWESOME ARMBRO (NZ) G C Small |
David Butcher | C18 M11 | FR1 | |
| 2 | 14003 |
I AM SAM |
A R Tubbs | Cameron Fitzpatrick | C15 M10 | FR2 |
| 3 | 14s11 |
MONKEY KING (NZ) |
B R Hill | Ricky May | C24 M18 | FR3 |
| 4 | 44216 |
WESTERN CAM |
N C Rasmussen | Natalie Rasmussen | C15 M6 | FR4 |
| 5 | 54264 |
PACIFIC CHARM |
L Miles | Lisa Miles | C10 M5 | FR5 |
| 6 | 75987 |
OHOKA UTAH (NZ) |
M A Formosa | Michael Formosa | C10 M4 | FR6 |
| 7 | 42338 |
BORIS BADENOV |
S M Hunter | Gavin Lang | C8 M2 | FR7 |
| 8 | 06809 |
CANT BLUFF ME |
L M Fitzpatrick | Blake Fitzpatrick | C11 M4 | FR8 |
| 9 | 42140 |
GENUWINE USA |
A R Ruggari | Adam Ruggari | C9 M3 | FR9 |
| 10 | 14325 |
KARLOO MICK |
B J Lew | Greg Bennett | C26 M20 | FR10 |
WATPAC 2010 Inter Dominion Championship Qualifying Heat 8:
Br. |
Form |
Horse |
Trainer |
Driver |
Class |
Handicap |
| 1 | 16355 |
PEMBROOK BENNY (NZ) |
B Purdon | Scott Phelan | C8 M3 | FR1 |
| 2 | 31452 |
HAVA BONVOYAGE (NZ) |
J J Porter | Greg Bennett | C8 M2 | FR2 |
| 3 | 73s33 |
BAILEYS DREAM (NZ) |
B R Hill | Ricky May | C19 M13 | FR3 |
| 4 | 12204 |
MR FEELGOOD (USA) |
T G Butt | Anthony Butt | C22 M17 | FR4 |
| 5 | 79528 |
KARLSRUHE |
D Aiken | David Aiken | C11 M6 | FR5 |
| 6 | 14239 |
CULLENS LEGACY (NZ) |
D J Binskin | Darren Binskin | C9 M2 | FR6 |
| 7 | 93527 |
VIRAGE |
D J Wilkins | Robert Morris (C) | C8 M3 | FR7 |
| 8 | 31111 |
BLACKS A FAKE |
N C Rasmussen | Natalie Rasmussen | C46 M36 | FR8 |
| 9 | 43066 |
OUR MALABAR NZ |
L J Justice | Lance Justice | C15 M9 | FR9 |
| Scratched: | ||||||
| Notaswethort |
