Brilliant Victorian harness racing pacer Lennytheshark has taken out the first heat of the 2016 TABtouch Inter Dominion at Gloucester Park, Western Australia.
The reigning Inter Dom champ began his title defence in the $1.8million series in the most emphatic fashion, working hard three-wide early before landing the chair with two laps of the half-mile GP circuit to run, outside pacesetter Our Jimmy Johnston, a local who had been well-tried by punters into $3.9.
Sent out $1.8 favourite with punters, Lennytheshark controlled the race from the breeze, driver Chris Alford explaining post-race the David Aiken-trained superstar thrives doing the work.
“He loves racing in the breeze for some reason,” Alford said. “He did the work and one day they’ll know he’s good and they’ll want to sit on him, but they want to park him at the moment.”
Off the back Lennytheshark made his move. Our Jimmy Johnston tried to shake him off, but it’s tough to escape the clutches of a hungry shark’s jaws.
Beaudiene Boaz found the line nicely for the Gary Hall Snr and Jr combination, but Lennytheshark had 1.4m on him at the wire, Lenny’s mile rate 1:54.8 and gross time 2:32.0. Last year Lenny won his opening heat in 2:33.1 gross and a 1:55.6 rate.
Our Jimmy Johnstone held third, but as reinsman Ryan Warwick remarked pre-race, if his charge couldn’t tame the Shark tonight it’d be tough doing it in the future.
Our Jericho was impressive in fourth, while Victorian Guaranteed finished fifth.
Interestingly the vet ran his eye over Guaranteed before declaring him fit to run pre-race. Guaranteed sat leader’s back in the run but found little at the finish to battle fairly into fifth. “He seems to have pulled up good,” Lang later told Sky.
But it was all honours with the winner, who has to firm in Grand Final markets given what he did tonight.
“He should get better as the series goes on… like last year,” Alford said.
“He travelled really well (tonight). Once he put the leader to bed he knocked off a little bit, but he knows where the line is.”
Lennytheshark – Retravision Inter Dominion Qualifying Heat 1
Bettors Fire NZ – Tabtouch Inter Dominion Qualifying Heat 2
Hectorjayjay ferocious in his heat
Punters are torn after night one of the TABtouch Inter Dominion heats at Gloucester Park in Perth.
Do you go with the reigning series champion, Lennytheshark, who couldn’t have been more impressive winning his heat last night, or the new kid on the block, stablemate Hectorjayjay, who also looks to have gone to another level?
David Aiken is in the box seat, that’s for sure. The Avenel horseman trains both Lenny and Hector. Winning two Inter Dominion heats on one night is a special feat.
Josh Aiken drove Hectorjayjay to victory in a mile rate of 1:53.6 – the quickest of the night – in the 2130-metre race.
“He had to work to get there, he copped mid-race pressure and then he still ripped home in a 27 quarter,” winning reinsman Josh Aiken said post-race.
“I was confident. He travelled well whole race. We had to work in the middle … that brings horses like bling it on Restrepo into the race, so I was rapt he still had kick in at end.”
Kick away he did. At the home bend Hectorjayjay booted clear of runner-up Run Oneover and third placegetter Franco Nelson, both trying hard but not making any inroads.
“Each run is going to tighten him up,” Aiken said. “He’ll keep getting better throughout the series.”
Hectorjayjay had to burn some petrol early as Exciteusinthecity held up from the pole for a few strides, and once in front, Hector copped heat throughout with a 56.8 middle half.
None of it mattered as Hectorjayjay, a six-year-old by Dream Away out of Sheer Finesse, ripped home in 27.4.
Simply Susational finished fourth with Bling It On fifth.
Other Victorians in heat three were Restrepo in seventh, Flaming Flutter in eighth and Exciteusinthecity in ninth.
The next round of heats will be held at Bunbury on Tuesday night.
Get your details by visiting the Inter Dominion website
Hectorjayjay – Choices Flooring Inter Dominion Qualifying Heat 3
Lenny and Hector take a swim in the Indian Ocean
2016 Perth Inter Dominion Progressive Points Table
Heat Night 1 | Heat Night 2 | Heat Night 3 | Series | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Horse | Heat | Placing | Points | Heat | Placing | Points | Heat | Placing | Points | Total Points | Rank |
BETTORS FIRE NZ (WA) | HEAT 2 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||||
HECTORJAYJAY (VIC) | HEAT 3 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | ||||
LENNYTHESHARK (VIC) | HEAT 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | ||||
BEAUDIENE BOAZ NZ (WA) | HEAT 1 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | ||||
RUN ONEOVER NZ (WA) | HEAT 3 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | ||||
SMOLDA (NZ) | HEAT 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | ||||
FRANCO NELSON NZ (NZ) | HEAT 3 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | ||||
JOHN OF ARC NZ (WA) | HEAT 2 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 8 | ||||
OUR JIMMY JOHNSTONE NZ (WA) | HEAT 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | ||||
OUR JERICHO NZ (WA) | HEAT 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | ||||
PHOENIX WARRIOR NZ (WA) | HEAT 2 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | ||||
SIMPLY SUSATIONAL NZ (WA) | HEAT 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 | ||||
BLING IT ON (NSW) | HEAT 3 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 | ||||
GUARANTEED (VIC) | HEAT 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | ||||
IMA CONNOISSEUR NZ (WA) | HEAT 2 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 15 | ||||
CYAMACH NZ (WA) | HEAT 3 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16 | ||||
MAJOR CROCKER (VIC) | HEAT 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17 | ||||
THE BUCKET LIST NZ (WA) | HEAT 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 | ||||
OUR BLACKBIRD NZ (WA) | HEAT 2 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19 | ||||
RESTREPO (VIC) | HEAT 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20 | ||||
ULTIMATE ART (NSW) | HEAT 1 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 | ||||
ELEGANT CHRISTIAN NZ (WA) | HEAT 1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | ||||
FLAMING FLUTTER NZ (WA) | HEAT 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | ||||
YANKEE ROCKSTAR (VIC) | HEAT 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24 | ||||
EXCITEUSINTHECITY (VIC) | HEAT 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | ||||
TRICKY STYX NZ (WA) | HEAT 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26 | ||||
WAYLADE NZ (WA) | HEAT 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | ||||
FREYBERG NZ (NSW) | HEAT 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28 | ||||
HEEZ ON FIRE (WA) | HEAT 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 29 | ||||
STUNNING GRIN (VIC) | HEAT 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30 |
* Please Note: The calculations in this table are not final until the race results have been confirmed and accepted by RWWA.
** In the event two or more horses each scoring equally the minimum number of points entitling them to be eligible for the Final and thereby producing a field exceeding the number designated by RWWA, then RWWA shall decide in its discretion which of the horses with equal points shall start in the Final.
by Cody Winnell