Before we get into the big names in both the horse and driver categories, let’s get behind Jemma Howard Coney, daughter of resident Tamworth trainer Greg Coney, and wish her all the best as she contests the Gannon’s Pony Trot Inter Dominion at Melton as part of the Mini Trot Series.

Now back to the $500,000 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Grand Final (Group 1).

There are plenty of big-name trainers and drivers, we have the best of the best but let’s go for some “underdogs” who have every chance to take out the Group 1 Grand Final.

The Lauren and Shane Tritton stables have Maximan from the six barrier and after a $25,000 purchase as a claimer the stables paid a $20,000 late entry fee and from the three heats conducted has had a third and two fourths to make it to the final.

Maximan is the oldest runner as a 10-year-old in the field.

The 10 barrier has the Cinderella story in - Our Uncle Sam - who as a three-year-old back in 2017 contested the Starmaker Final at the Tamworth Paceway where the gelding finished seventh.

Our Uncle Sam is trained at Bathurst by Chris Frisby and is to be driven by his son Anthony with the pair combining to contest what is their biggest race feature to date.

“He is a family-owned horse that is the best thing,” reinsman Anthony Frisby said after the barrier draw for the Inter Dominion Final was released on Monday morning.

“It’s a big achievement to take him from the bottom to the top.”

Our Uncle Sam came into prominence in the third heat of the Inter Dom Heat Series conducted last Saturday night at Cranbourne, finishing second to the Kevin Pizzuto-trained Tiger Tara with Todd McCarthy is the gig.

“I think it also helps that the horse is going so well – he has put in three super runs,” Frisby said. “He is racing in top quality and he is going well.

“Tiger Tara is a super nice horse - I was just a couple of strides too late.”

Racing three back on the inside running line with fellow NSW runner Tiger Tara leading the field, Frisby made use of the sprint lane - something that Our Uncle Sam is not quite accustomed to.

“It is a good wide sprint lane and they had raced 26 up the back and he handled that well - but I was a bit worried that the horse in front of us [Can’t Refuse] may have dropped right down into the sprint lane and it did take my horse a while to work down into the sprint lane.

“When he balanced up, he was taking some ground off them - it was a fabulous run. He handled the distance as well.”

Tiger Tara had a 1m win over Our Uncle Sam and San Carlo (Rebecca Bartley) another 2.7m away third with the 2555m run over 1.57.1.

Our Uncle Sam was the “chosen one” for trainer Chris Frisby, who trains the Sportswriter-Rooftop Fairy gelding for his wife Judy and father-in-law Peter Delany.

“Dad purchased him out of a Bathurst Yearling Sales for $3500," Frisby said.

“We don’t have much pressure. We are not odds on - we can run our own race and just do our best.”

THE running of the 2018 Inter Dominion Final will be broadcast on the free-to-air Channel 7Two starting at 9pm until 10.30pm on Saturday night.  The coverage will also take in the $150,000 TAB Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Grand Final (Group 1).

At this stage, Cruz Bromac from the NZ Allstars stables is looking to commence as race favourite with “Miss Inter Dominion” herself Natalie Rasmussen to take the drive.

TAMWORTH-owned Somemondosomewhere is enjoying the Queensland climate and, with only two race starts over the border, has recorded two wins at Albion Park and will line up again on Saturday night, once again at Albion Park, in the Garrard’s Horse & Hound Qualifying Pace to see if he can make it three on the trot.

Owned by Tamworth residents Maurice and Wendy Mondolo, Somemondosomewhere has had the two starts under the training of Grant Dixon which resulted a win first up travelling 1.57.7 for 2138m and last start clocking 1.55.7 for 1660m.

Somemondosomewhere clocked his personal best mile rate of 1.54.5 at Newcastle back in June over the metric mile of 1609m.

For Maurice Mondolo, the wins at Albion Park were a highlight of his 35-year involvement in the sport – it was his first Albion Park winner.

HARNESS racing will be back to the Tamworth Paceway on Tuesday night with some Christmas cheer for both adults and children with Santa about to make a short trip to the Tamworth HRC meeting.