New Zealanders launch one of their strongest ever Inter Dominion pacing campaigns, when the series starts

on Queensland's Gold Coast on Saturday, March 14.

Three of the four favourites for the $A1 million final are New Zealand-trained, with Auckland Cup winner Auckland Reactor the shortest priced. If he wins he will be the first New Zealand pacer to do so on Australian soil since Yulestar at Brisbane's Albion Park in 2001.

New Zealand-trained pacers have won just three of the past 30 Inter Dominion finals, but Christchurch trainer Tim Butt is confident that they will dominate this year's carnival.

He told the Melbourne Herald Sun that New Zealand not only has a lot of top horses for this year's Inter Dominion series but also top trainers.

"These are guys who have all been to Australia plenty of times and won a lot of big races over here," he said.

"That sort of experience, just with the little things you need to get right when you are travelling horses, can be crucial."

New Zealand trainers leading the charge are Butt and his United States import Mr Feelgood and Report For Duty; Mark Purdon with the Canadian co-owned Auckland Reactor; Geoff Small with New Zealand Cup winner Changeover, Awesome Armbro and Zenad; and Tony Herlihy with Gotta Go Cullen.

However, Butt said the Parklands track's sweeping bends and short straights would present a challenge for Mr Feelgood in tomorrow night's second heat.

"It's a tough start for him. He's drawn out wide (barrier seven) and I think his heat has the most depth," Butt said.

"It looks to be a very fast front line, so going forward could be dangerous. It's more likely we'll go back, hope they go very hard for the first 800m and come back to us at the finish.

"I'm not saying he can't win, because Mr Feelgood will run a very strong mile, but it's going to be tough."

Changeover will be carrying New Zealand's hopes in the first heat, and Awesome Armbro is up against three-time Inter Dominion champion Blacks A Fake who is the heat favourite despite being drawn on the second line.

Auckland Reactor is expected to romp home in the last heat, which includes fellow New Zealand horses Report For Duty and Gotta Go Cullen.

The Australian TAB Sportsbet's fixed odds market has Auckland Reactor at $A2 to win final on March 28, with Blacks A Fake at $A4, Mr Feelgood at $8 and Changeover at $9.

To view the full field of entries, click here.

(NZPA)