Watch Mr. Feelgood's big effort in Sydney

There were four divisions of the first leg of the three-part Inter Dominion Championship on Friday night, Feb. 19, at Harold Park in Sydney, and the American-bred horses Mr. Feelgood, Genuwine and Fox Valley Appeal failed to be factors.

 

Mr. Feelgood, however, turned in a huge effort after starting from the second tier in his division on the half-mile Harold Park oval. He got away next to last in the race, then was fifth-over until the last lap of the 2,160 meter race. That's when he was tipped three wide. Mr. Feelgood grinded three wide for the entire last lap and then hung tough in the stretch drive to finish a strong fourth.

 

Mr. Feelgood's race was won in an upset by Atomic Ark, a 7-year-old gelding by Albert Albert. Trained and driven by Natalie Rasmussen, he won in a mile rate time of 1:58 5/10ths with a late rally to overtake the betting favorite Changeover.

 

Click here to watch the win by Atomic Ark and big effort by Mr. Feelgood, who won the 2006 Little Brown Jug for trainer Jimmy Takter. (The video replay link is at the top right of the chart of the race. Mr. Feelgood was in race 4.)

 

Rasmussen came back in the next race and won, as expected, with Blacks A Fake. Now 9 years old, Rasmussen has lowered her expectations, but still hoping that her horse advances to the $1 million (Aus.) Inter Dominion final, which would make Blacks A Fake one of only two horses to ever contest five ID finals. The only other horse to achieve that distinction is Caduceus, who managed the feat in the late 1950s and won his only and last ID appearance in 1960.

 

Blacks A Fake won his Inter Dominion division at Harold Park with a mile rate time of 1:58 7/10ths. Genuwine finished last in the race.

 

The third split went to Monkey Key, who is coming off of a celebrated victory in the November Miracle Mile. The 7-year-old gelded son of Sands A Flyin won in a mile rate time of 2:00 3/10ths. LonestarLegend, a winner of a heat of the 2007 Little Brown Jug, was scratched the morning of the race.

 

The final division went to Bondy NZ, an 8-year-old gelding by Live Or Die. He was the fastest winner, posting a mile rate of 1:57 6/10ths. Fox Valley Appeal started in the race and finished next to last as the second longest shot on the board.

 

The second leg of the Inter Dominion will be held Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Newcastle track.