By Adam Hamilton
Former top Kiwi horseman Brent Lilley thinks he can do his part to give this NSW Inter Dominion some serious New Zealand flavour.
An untimely setback to Mark Jones’ emerging pacer Tact McLeod robbed the Kiwis of an actual runner in this Inter Dominion, but Queen Elida has very strong ties across the ditch.
The star six-year-old mare was bred in NZ by “Boof” McKenzie and is still owned by him, Tony Barron and their families.
Throw in the Lilley connection and there’s lots of Kiwi about Queen Elida.
“We thought going into the series she was one of the main hopes and that’s certainly how it looks now after her win at Newcastle (last Friday),” Lilley said.
“We were pretty happy to see Just Believe stay in NZ. We’ve chased him home in the past two (Inter Dominion) finals and he’s just too good. He sits outside them and does his thing.
“But with him not here, our mare has shown time and time again she’s as good as anything else.”
Crucially, Lilley said Queen Elida’s feet, which have given her plenty of trouble at times, were “perfect” for this series.
“Last year in Brisbane she jarred-up a track at Albion Park which had a loose surface, but was really hard underneath on night one and it was a bit of a battle with her from then on,” Lilley said.
“She got a bit better as it went on, but we never had her 100 percent.
“It’s different this time. We did have a few little issues when she pulled a shoe going to Maryborough a few weeks back, but she seems perfect again now.
“It was great to see her come out and go so well the other night.
“She’s drawn well again at Bathurst (Wednesday night, gate four), so hopefully she can jump on the bunny and win again.”
Despite cruising home at Newcastle last Friday night, Queen Elida’s 1min57.5sec mile rate for 2030m was much quicker than the 2min0.7sec The Locomotive ran in the other trotting heat.
“That’s the mare I love,” driver Chris Alford said. “She began quickly and did it so easily. She felt great.”
Alford has won two Inter Dominion pacing finals – Golden Reign (1995) and Lennytheshark (2015) – but is yet to land a trotting final.
The best results from his 13 trotting finals drives have been thirds on Queen Elida in the past two finals behind Just Believe.
Alford is also a key player in the pacing series, courtesy Isabel Walsh’s former Kiwi pacer Cantfindabettorman, who brilliantly won his opening round heat at Newcastle.
The strongest Kiwi flavour in the pacing series is through the largely Kiwi-owned Minstrel for WA team Greg and Skye Bond and driver Deni Roberts.
The rising eight-year-old is $3.50 outright favourite for the final after toying with his rivals at Newcastle.
Despite drawing wide (gate eight) at Bathurst, Minstrel still dominates betting at $1.35.
