Williamson considering Interdominion campaign
NEW Zealand’s Interdominion assault could swell to six after a couple of surprise additions.
The annual transtasman harness racing series returns to Victoria on Saturday week and has the added bonus of the return of the trotting series, which was last held in 2012.
Both series will consist of three rounds of heats spread across Victoria and 2760m mobile finals at Melton on December 15 but the series, like last week’s New Zealand Cup, has been hit by the extraordinary number of injuries, retirements and overseas sales in the openclass ranks this year.
But while a brutal cup week in Christchurch suggested New Zealand could have only two or three representatives in the Interdominions, that number could double.
Yesterday was the day many trainers sat down, dusted themselves off and planned the rest of the summer. One of the big winners has been the Auckland and Cambridge summer carnivals, with some of the industry’s glamour names staying home. They include Thefixer, Dream About Me, Jack’s Legend, Turn It Up, Chase Auckland, Eamon Maguire and Elle Mac in the pacing ranks while Temporale, Lemond and Woodstone will also be coming north rather than heading to Melbourne.
Ultimate Machete, who missed cup week with a hoof problem, has been on the water walker for the last week and cotrainer Mark Purdon will check on his progress before confirming an Auckland Cup campaign.
That leaves the All Stars with Cruz Bromac as their confirmed Interdominion pacing hope with the option that Spankem could join him.
‘‘We are still finalising a few different things and will firm everything up later in the week,’’ Purdon said.
While speedster Star Galleria is out of the Interdominions and will need minor surgery, one surprise addition to the Kiwi pacing team could be Pat’s Delight.
The Jewels winner has been both luckless and impressive over the last month and trainer Cran Dalgety is leaning towards going to Melbourne as the Interdominion final could be no stronger than the Auckland Cup.
‘‘I am talking to the owner about it and he gets the final call but I am keen to go,’’ Dalgety said.
In the trotting series, Speeding Spur was always likely to go
❛ I think they are both good enough to go to the series, make the final and get some money in it so we are
keen.
Trainer Phil Williamson talking about Interdominion prospects Alderbeck and Monty Python and after jogging out soundly for trainers John and Josh Dickie on Monday morning he will be in the series barring anything unforseen happening this week
And he could be joined by two slightly unexpected fellow Kiwis in Alderbeck and Monty Python.
Their trainer, Phil William son, said the Interdominion trip was on with the pair, who had no luck in the Dominion at Addington last Friday.
‘‘I think they are both good enough to go to the series, make the final and get some money in it so we are keen.’’
But with driving sons Nathan, Brad and Matthew so busy at home, Williamson could be on the lookout for an Australian driver for the pair.
Speeding Spur is rated the most likely New Zealand winner of one of an Interdominion final at $3.80 in most markets, while Tiger Tara heads many pacing markets although Cruz Bromac could continue to shorten after his New Zealand FreeForAll win last Friday and once his participation in the series becomes more certain.
Ultimate Sniper could come north for the Sales Series Pace at Alexandra Park on December 31 but intermediate grade speed machine Alta Maestro will stick to a South Island standingstart race programme for now. — NZME