Steve joins famous Dad on honour roll
AS THE countdown to tonight’s second round of TAB Inter Dominion heats continues, we travel back in time to relive past editions of the Championships hosted by Club Menangle.
STEVE TURNBULL joined his legendary father Tony ‘AD’ Turnbull as an Inter Dominion winner when Smooth Satin won a classic edition of the series.
In the weeks leading up to the Inter Dominion, several big names were notable casualties including defending champion Yulestar, with trainer Lorraine Nolan pulling the plug following his below par effort in the Hunter Cup on February 16.
Fellow Kiwi, and dual Miracle Mile winner Holmes DG, was also sent home by trainer Barry Purdon after his form had tapered off during an Australian campaign.
Cobbitty horseman Dennis Wilson was hoping to erase the pain of defeat 12 months earlier with Atitagain, which was a heartbreaking second to Yulestar in Brisbane.
He was one of five horses engaged in the series for the locally-based mentor.
NIGHT ONE
The opening night of competition was held at Harold Park on Friday, March 1, with five of the nine races containing Inter Dominion heats – three for the pacers, two for the trotters.
Smooth Satin went into the third heat drawing the outside of the back line with an unfamiliar ‘0’ next to his name.
That was in the Victoria Cup on February 2 behind Jofess, when he was luckless and didn’t handle the racing surface at Moonee Valley.
Having drawn terribly, Smooth Satin would be under pressure in the opening 2565-metre heat.
Forced wide over the final circuit, the $3.80 favourite would finish fifth to New Zealander Stars And Stripes, which was given a cushy run midfield by driver Ken Barron.
West Australian Big Town Walton, which led for Kim Prentice, finished five metres away in second just in front of Jofess in 1:59.5.
Courage Under Fire capture the opening heat for trainer-driver Brian Hancock despite drawing terribly off the back line in gate 14,
Thanks to a masterful piece of driving, Courage Under Fire was settled in the one-one at the expense of tough Victorian mare, Lombo Rapida, before defeating Queenslander Trois Frere and Victorian Wally Walton.
His winning mile rate was identical to Stars And Stripes.
Shakamaker, the 2000 Inter Dominion winner, completed the opening round winners which overcame horrific draws.
Arguably the most impressive of the winners, Shakamaker sat outside Atitagain and beat him on his merits, running the last half in 57.5 seconds to score by six metres.
Champion mare Tailamade Lombo was third
Shakamaker’s mile rate of 1:58.4 established a track record, bettering Holmes DG’s previous mark by four-tenths of a second.
NIGHT TWO
In a revolutionary move, the NSW Harness Racing Club and its Chief Executive Peter V’Landys transferred the second round of heats, to be conducted over the mile, to Newcastle.
Never before had a provincial venue conducted Inter Dominion action and the sceptics were out in force prior to the series, questioning the decision by the club and its directors.
It would prove to be a masterstroke and a move copied by clubs in the future.
John Justice, looking to win his second Inter Dominion, was dealt a severe blow just 24 hours after winning his heat with Shakamaker when Harness Racing Victoria stewards suspended him for causing interference behind Manwarra Newsmaker at Cranbourne.
Justice immediately lodged an appeal and was granted a stay of proceedings, allowing him to steer his champion to his second heat win in a very quick 1:55.9.
Still relatively new on the Grand Circuit despite his Miracle Mile win in November, Smooth Satin enjoyed the one-one in his heat, to salute in 1:56.6.
Gaining many valuable points for the series, Turnbull would now be in a healthier position heading into the third and final night of qualifying heats three days later.
Meanwhile, the flop of this heat was defending Grand Circuit champion Atitagain, which finished near the rear of the field.
Stars And Stripes made it two-from-two for Barron when storming home over the top of frontrunner Seelster Sam, one of five Inter combatants for Wilson, with Wally Walton a close up third.
His time of 1:57.6 was the slowest on the night, some two-and-a-half seconds slower than Courage Under Fire’s heat success.
The victory propelled Courage Under Fire into $4.50 co-favouritism with Shakamaker.
NIGHT THREE
Courage Under Fire made a clean sweep of the qualifiers by leading throughout and holding Jofess on the line to take out heat eight.
Smooth Satin sat in the one-one before out sprinting Stars And Stripes to the line in heat nine, holding a six-metre margin over the Kiwi at the finish.
Atitagain, which led, was third in what was a much improved run from his midweek effort at Newcastle some three days earlier.
Shakamaker, with Justice in the sulky still driving on a stay of proceedings, blitzed his rivals in the final heat over 2160 metres, scoring by 14-and-a-half metres from Tailamade Lombo, with Queenslander Trois Frere third.
FINAL
News filtered through midweek that Justice had failed in his appeal against the driving suspension, and as such, was forced to look elsewhere for someone to partner Shakamaker.
With the 2000 Inter Dominion winner drawn barrier four (three, with the removal of third emergency), the prized drive went to master reinsman Brian Gath.
Courage Under Fire, also speedy out of the gate, drew alongside Shakamaker, while Turnbull was left to cringe after Smooth Satin drew 15.
Many expected fireworks at the start, and it was delivered, in the form of Shakamaker and Courage Under Fire burning into the first turn of the 2565-metre Final.
Eventually, Gath, wielding the whip on Shakamaker in an attempt to hold Hancock, would get his way and find the front, with Courage Under Fire then missing the chance to drop behind the frontrunner – that position went to Atitagain.
Turnbull pressed ahead at the mile marker with Smooth Satin to snare the ‘death’, with this happening when Courage Under Fire, one-one at the time at the expense of Wally Walton came three-wide to get the one-one again.
His three-wide move paved the way for Darren Hancock to move away from the inside and move around the field to grab the spot outside Shakamaker, giving Smooth Satin the one-one.
Turnbull eased out three-wide to issue his challenge at the quarter mark, with the first split run in 28.5 seconds, joining Shakamaker and Jofess on the turn.
Smooth Satin quickly ranged up to the leader in the straight and went on to post a very popular two-metre victory from Shakamaker, with Trois Frere flashing home for third.
Smooth Satin rated a track record 1:58.3 – a-tenth quicker than Shakamaker’s mark set on the opening night of the series.