Australian racing legend Blacks A Fake rode on the outside of Mr. Feelgood for most of the 2,300- meter second leg of the Inter Dominion Series and then forged by in the homestretch. Mr. Feelgood, the 2006 Little Brown Jug winner, held on for second.
The second Inter Dominion leg took place Saturday night at the Newcastle track, in the port city of the same name about 2 hours north of Sydney.
Both Blacks A Fake and Mr. Feelgood, the 2009 Inter Dominion winner, advanced to the $1 million (Aus.) final, set for Sunday, March 7, at the seven-eighths mile Menangle track near Sydney.
Four qualifying divisions were contested Saturday night at Newcastle on a warm, late summer evening. The first was won by Washakie NZ, trained and driven by John McCarthy, the father of horsemen Andrew and Luke McCarthy, who have both competed in the U.S. Washakie NZ started from post 10 and raced first-over as Lance Justice set a very slow pace with Smoken Up NZ. Some said the slow pace allowed Washakie NZ to stay strong and turn in a strong stretch rally to win.
The second division went to Bondy NZ while Miracle Mile Pace champion Monkey King took a division as a heavy favorite.
Blacks A Fake, a 9-year-old gelding, started from post nine for trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen while Mr. Feelgood started from post five. Blacks A Fake had won one of the first Inter Dominion legs at Harold Park and was guaranteed a spot in the final, but Mr. Feelgood needed to finish first or second to advance.
Wearing an AdvantEdge sulky--a rare sight in Australian racing--Mr. Feelgood was shot to the lead by driver Anthony Butt but was rough-gaited in the first turn on the Newcastle oval, which is just short of five-eighths of a mile in circumference. But his gait smoothed out in the straightaway and he controlled the race and valiantly held off the tough as nails Blacks A Fake until the stretch drive. With the crowd hanging on the rail cheering "Come on Blackie," Blacks A Fake paced to victory.
Blacks A Fake's winning time was a mile rate of 1:55.3, with a last quarter in :27.4. The son of Fake Left pushed his career earnings to $3.7 million with the win.
The draw for post positions for the Inter Dominion final will be held Monday night at Harold Park in Sydney.
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