The 2021 Inter Dominion heats are starting to heat up, with the second round conducted on Wednesday night at Bathurst.
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Third-round heats will be conducted this Sunday at Newcastle over 2030m.
The husband and wife team of Belinda and Luke McCarthy set a new record at Bathurst when they won all three Inter Dominion heats there on Wednesday.
Luke, a reinsman, was born in Bathurst and still has a strong family connection there. His wife trained the three winners.
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The couple also had success elsewhere.
Round one Inter Dominion heats were conducted at Menangle last Saturday night over 2400m, with the McCarthy stables picking up the opening heat via King Of Swing. The mile rate was 1min 53.9sec.
Stablemate Expensive Ego then picked up the second heat in a mile rate of 1.55.3, before the David Aiken trained and driven Malcolms Rhythm won the third heat.
In all, the McCarthy's won five of the six Inter Dominion heats contested at Bathurst and Menangle.
The round two Inter Dominion heats at Bathurst were held over 1730m.
Expensive Ego set a new track record with a mile rate of 1.50.6 in taking out heat four.
Expensive Ego had a 7.9m win over Triple Eight (Greg Sugars), with The Black Price (Robbie Morris) 2.2m away in third place.
In the fifth heat, the McCarthy's Spirit Of St Louis recorded a mile rate of 1.54.4 and a winning margin of 1.1m over stablemate Alta Orlando (Jack Callaghan). Malcolms Rhythm (Aiken) was a head away in third place.
"If he draws well in the final, and a few have to do work in the run, he will be there in the finish," said Luke McCarthy of Spirit Of St Louis.
King Of Swing had to work his way into the race from the eight barrier but took out heat six by a head over Boncel Benjamin (Jack Trainor). Max Delight (Chris Alford) was 2.3m away in third place. The mile rate was 1.51.4.
"King Of Swings' run: horses just don't do that," Belinda McCarthy said.
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The stars have certainly aligned for Tamworth reinsman Tom Ison.
Last week he received an unexpected phone call from Sydney trainer Kevin Pizzuto to take the reins behind Arden Messi, who was first emergency in the opening heat of the 2021 Inter Dominion at Menangle.
After gaining a run due to a scratching, Ison accepted the drive in a flash, headed to Sydney and took the reins behind Arden Messi, sight unseen, and finished fourth to King Of Swing.
Ison then headed into the second round of heats on Wednesday night at Bathurst, where he finished ninth to King Of Swing.
Ison will not be sitting idle waiting for the next round of heats on Sunday at Newcastle. After contesting eight races at Tamworth on Thursday afternoon, he has a full card of drives at Newcastle's Friday night meeting.
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Harness Racing NSW announced this week the drivers for the Mates4Harness Young Drivers Invitation.
The feature event will take place alongside the TAB Inter Dominion Grand Finals, the Carousel Final and the JC Caffyn Plate at Tabcorp Park Menangle on December 11.
Some of the state's top young drivers have been invited to contest the penalty-exempt event for horses with a national rating of up to 95.
They include some familiar names at Tamworth Paceway: Brad Elder, Blake Hughes and Tom Ison.
We wish everyone good luck.
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