By Adam Hamilton
Emerging Kiwi pacer Tact McLeod faces a tough start to his NSW Inter Dominion campaign.
The lone Kiwi in the series, Tact McLeod will start from outside the front row (gate eight) over 2030m in the opening round of heats at Newcastle on Friday night.
On a positive note, the Mark Jones-trained pacer, who was a late entry only last week, looks to have landed in the weakest of the three opening night pacing heats.
His major dangers will be Zeuss Bromac (gate one), Blacksadance (two), Cantfindabettorman (four) and Curly James (10).
As expected, decorated former Kiwi driver Anthony Butt will head up from his Victorian base to drive Tact McLeod through the series.
In contrast, top WA trainers Greg and Skye Bond’s late decision to send Minstrel and Tenzing Bromac across from Perth for the series has been rewarded with lovely barriers on night one.
Last-start Group 1 WA Pacing Cup winner Minstrel will be a warm favourite from gate one in the first of the pacing heats (race three).
Tenzing Bromac, who like Minstrel will be driven by Deni Roberts, has gate two in the second heat (race four).
Last-start TAB Eureka winner Don Hugo looks the hardest from Tenzing Bromac to beat from the pole for his trainer-driver Luke McCarthy, who is fresh back from a USA stint.
Although Jason Grimson doesn’t have his dual NZ Cup winner Swayzee in the series, he still has four chances to land an incredible third Inter Dominion pacing final win the past four years. He won with Boncel Benjamin in 2021 and I Cast No Shadow in 2022 before Swayzee ran third for him in Brisbane last year.
“Curly James, District Attorney and Nerano are my real hopes, Cya Art probably isn’t quite up to them,” Grimson said.
“It’s really hard to split my three, they are all snipers and not horses who can dominate their races. Give them the right run and they’ll all be dangerous in a series like this.”
District Attorney could use his blazing early speed from gate six against Minstrel in heat one.
Nerano will need luck from an outside draw (gate eight) in heat two, while the bad draws continued for Grimson with Cya Art (seven) and Curly James (10) in heat three.
In a trotting series missing Just Believe, former top juvenile The Locomotive looks the testing material given his fantastic form since joining NSW trainer-driver Brad Hewitt.
The Locomotive looks ideally suited from gate four in a crucial early series clash with another big gun, London To A Brick (barrier five) in the first trotting heat (race six).
Kiwi-owned mare Queen Elida gets her chance to lead and take catching in the second heat from barrier five for trainer Brent Lilley and driver Chris Alford.
The series then moves to Bathurst next Wednesday night for the second round of heats.
