Champion Blacks A Fake can now lay claim to being the top pacer in Australasian harness racing history following his historic victory in the $1 million Watpac Inter Dominion Grand Final
at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Sunday afternoon.
Winning an unprecedented fourth Inter Dominion, Blacks A Fake did it the hard way by racing three-wide for the last 800 metres.
Washakie led from the pole for trainer-driver John McCarthy while Bondy (barrier eight) and Smoken Up (10) also showed speed and took up the one-one and spot outside the leader respectively.
The lead time was run in 48.0 and the first half in a quick 58.5 (30.0, 28.5).
Our Awesome Armbro sat behind the frontrunner while Atomic Ark, a stablemate of Blacks A Fake, was three-pegs with Blackie one-out two-back just in front of race favourite Monkey King with a lap to travel.
Changeover, Baileys Dream and Mr Feelgood bought up the tail with 800 metres to go. Trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen put Blacks A Fake into the race with a half remaining, coming three-wide without cover with Ricky May (Monkey King) quickly seizing the chance to snare the trail.
With the third quarter in 28.3, the field packed up turning for home, with Washakie just in front of Smoken Up and Blacks A Fake looming up to them strongly. Releasing the brakes on the nine-year-old, the son of Fake Left quickly pounced on the leaders and despite being challenged by Monkey King, produced his customary fight to hold his rival at the finish.
Smoken Up fought on gallantly to hold third, just in front of Changeover, who flashed home, with Bondy finishing fifth.
The final quarter of 27.9 produced a sensational 1:53.8 mile rate – a world record! The victory also saw Blacks A Fake become the richest downunder standardbred of all time, with earnings of $4,179,693.
“What can I say? – he is a sensational horse, I love him,” a delighted Rasmussen said after the event.
(ID10)
I was at the race and
I was at the race and I just watched Blacks A Fake win his fourth Inter Dominion Championship in five years. I am here doing promotional work for Mister Big who will stand at stud in New Zealand next year. At nine years old Blacks A Fake has never looked better. Truly one of the greatest harness horses who ever lived and I have been around greatness the last few years. Cardigan Bay and Cadeucius were great but this guy is something very very special. Probably doesn't have the speed to beat our best at a mile but that's not what they do down here, awesome at a mile and a half. A tall sleek horse he would not impress Americans on looks but he has the ideal body for a mile and a half.
The sulkies are about 16 pounds heavier that what they were using and a ton heavier than ours. Its a real chore to lift them. They have to be much stronger because of lack of interference rules down here.Sometimes Australian races are demolition derbies. They are still way farther behind the horse than ours. Dan Koon the American who keeps the tracks at Lexington, Little Brown Jug and big races at Meadowlands was here in person and had the track really fast. Dan and his wife and I were I think the only Americans here. Taking nothing away from Blacks A Fake but we adjust the money between US and Canada according to exchange rates, much of Blacks A Fake money was won when the Australian dollar was 60 cents on the US dollar and and the New Zealand dollar was 45 cents on US dollar. In United States the big money is at three while over there they race for more money as aged horses as we do.
Joseph G Muscara
Nice to see the drivers of
Nice to see the drivers of Blacks A Fake and Monkey King shaking hands after the while. The kind of good sportsmanship not often seen in North America.
Just some comments.I love
Just some comments.I love Australian racing, and the punters who are amongst the world's most avid and prolific.
While the driver had the lines in his hands, he whacked the horse all the way home.Doesn't do anything to attract the animal activists, but it doesn't seem to bother the betting public, or most other civilians for that matter.
Check out those bikes,they're completely different from North America, and yet they are still very effective.
In reply to Just some comments.I love by longshot
Dante, in a story on New
Dante, in a story on New Zealand's stuff website, it states that quite a few horses actually used modified North American style sulkies.
-jp