By Adam Hamilton
Classy Kiwi pacer Tact McLeod has joined the Mark Jones stable and will bring some Kiwi flavour to the Inter Dominions in New South Wales.
Jones, who has enjoyed huge recent success in NSW with dual Group 1 Ladyship Mile winner Stylish Memphis, confirmed connections had paid a late nomination fee to tackle the series.
It has revived NZ interest in the series after trainer Cran Dalgety scratched Republican Party last Saturday.
The Inter Dominion starts with heats at Newcastle on Friday week, moves to Bathurst on December 4 before the last round of heats (December 7) and finals (December 14) at Menangle.
Jones said former champion Kiwi driver Anthony Butt, now based in Victoria, would drive Tact McLeod through the series.
It gives Butt the chance to become the most successful driver in Inter Dominion history.
He currently sits second with 38 Inter Dominion race wins (heats, consolations and finals combined), just one behind fellow Kiwi driver Tony Herlihy.
Butt has won four finals, the 2009 pacing final on Mr Feelgood, along with trotting finals on Lyell Creek (2000) and Take A Moment (2001 and ’03).
Jones liked what he saw of Tact McLeod when seventh in last week’s IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and fifth in the Allied Security NZ Free-For-All three days later.
The Cup run was monstrous after missing away from the standing start and coming wide, while Tact McLeod would’ve finished in the top three with any racing room last Friday.
“He’s nice progressive horse and he’s still building,” he said. “Trevor’s (Proctor) has been training him, so I’ve got to know the horse really well. The plan was always for him to stay with me after Cup Week.
“Those runs against the big boys will really bring him on again.
“When I heard Swayzee wasn’t running and then Leap To Fame came out, it looked like a really good option to take him across.
“Better Eclipse isn’t there, either. He ran second in last year’s final.
“It looks a very even series and knowing the upside this horse has, I think he’ll be very competitive.
“He’s the sort of horse who just thrives on racing and the big track at Menangle will really suit him.
Tact McLeod has raced just 22 times for eight wins, five placings and banked $138,408.
